It was easy for me
To love this vulnerable child.
Neglected,
Misunderstood.

Love, stored within
So ready for an outlet
A focus
Organic.
Love as a gift
To heal
Both our unmet, visceral needs
To flow in the space between us

But such turbulence followed

Love given
Unwelcomed
Rejected
Spurned
With no way through

Until exhaustion and fear
Replaced the possibility of
My continued efforts
And then rejection.
Now felt on both sides

An impasse
An ending

But that love still remains.
Alive and hopeful
Silently seeping
Through the cracks of hurt
To penetrate the wound
And let it heal again

By Sam Tassera
2024