written in 2018, appropriate for 2025

My heart has been broken so many times
Not only by lovers
(Not only by others)
I have watched it fall from my chest and shatter on the ground
Walked on, walked over, splattered with coffee stains and gutter grime
Pulled from the bottom of a shoe and carelessly tossed back to the ground to be
Picked at by rodents and discarded for the next
Bloody treat
Mangled
Unrecognizable
Some pieces lost forever
And each time
I put it back together,
Each fragment back in place with this homemade glue of tears and self-love
I notice the glorious mosaic take shape again
More vibrant and more radiant than ever before
Different
But gorgeous
So, if it breaks again, I know it will be okay.
Because to me, the most beautiful art is the most colorful.
