Kiss That Scar

This is one of my favorite poems from my book, My Soul Is From a Different Place.
I wrote this poem as I thought about our scars, both physical and emotional. We carry them with us, our evidence that we’ve survived things like abuse and harm. But as we look at them, do we see them as beautiful? As a unique badge of strength?

One reason I talk about my background is because it’s behind me. I have a happy life now. But so many people, so many of you, are still in that dark place. I’ve been right where you are. But I want you to know that there is a way out of there. What’s more, happiness is your birthright. It’s within your grasp, no matter how many times people try and take it away.

And your scars? They’re evidence that you’re here for a reason. God wants you here. He brought you through. So kiss that scar. You’re meant for more than the labels others have put on you. You’re a cherished part of this world, and we’re waiting for you to reach out, stretch those wings, do the things you were told you could never do.

That’s what the poem is about.

Kiss that scar
the one that is jagged, and rough,
the one that you try and hide
because you think that it is ugly.

Rub your palm lovingly
across the hard edges
of its surface,
embrace the design of that scar,
chosen especially for you
by God.

To think only of the pain
when you see that scar
is to forget who you are:
beautiful
strong
filled with compassion
filled with purpose.

The scar does not represent
what you lost,
it shows you all that you gained,
all that you could never
have purchased
with all the riches of the world.

The scar is your awakening,
to you, and everyone who
crosses your path.
It says pay attention,
God showed me where
my heart had been buried.

Kiss that scar
and feel the message,
written out in code,
that only you can decipher.
A secret, shared by God’s whisper
into your entire soul,
then spread out into the world
with every beat of your heart.

© 2014 Cherie Burbach, My Soul Is From a Different Place