scar tissue

a scar on my lip
from an angry dog’s kiss,
and a scar on my temple -
those teeth did not miss,

and a scar on my hip
from a slide on the street
and a scar on my ankle -
a stingray felt feet,

though the scar on my heart
overshadows them all
as it hides in the dark,
betrays none of the fall

into and out of
the love that we had.
how did something so good
ever end up so bad?

vicious dogs and their teeth,
startled barb without sheath,
can rip right through my flesh,
if my heart i can keep.

these wounds heal slowly,
more in mind than in matter.
i still have scar tissue
from back when i knew her -

a constant reminder
in the sound of her name.
i will be healed, but
never quite the same.

-v