Leave Them Behind

Weary, torn, shattered man
Bare feet upon burning sand
Broken shards in his hand

Oh thou sad forlorn soldier
What doth make thee falter
For thou could be a great warrior

What hast it’s tenacious hold on thee
Dragging thee into the abyss
Where found, thou wilt never be

What is it that has torn thee so
That now tortured you go
And walk in the mire below

Are those shards you hold
So precious and old
That thou must treat them like gold?
they once were something beautiful
But now are smashed apart
Dreams, goals, relationships, and hearts

Al of them broken, bringing stormy skies
The glory and beauty of the highs
Now lost in haunted memories

They consume you inside, what if
This is how i chose to live
What if i did this, what if?

They cut deep inside your heart
They slowly tear you apart
They make you less than thou art

You cannot change the past but you can change now
Will you stand strong or will you bow?
if you think you can live in the past, please tell me how

But until then, i start each day new again
To be a worthy servant, to be a better friend.
To keep chasing dreams right until my end

This world i’m in will never perfect be
So while down here, i’ll never be a perfect me
But God i’ll try to perfect me.

To be more like Jesus, to live how i am to live
To love like him, to forgive
To learn, to help, to give

These broken jars you hold
These hideous scars of old
Throw away, fortune favors the bold

These broken shards cut your palms
They cause you to sing desolate psalms
They bring naught but harm

Jars are just made of clay
If they Fall and break, throw the remains away
Make another to stay

Some day you’ll find a treasure
One which will hold in all weather
Something beyond measure

So open your clenched bleeding hands
Drop the shattered pieces on the sand
Lift up your head, thou weary man

Leave those pieces behind
Cause there’s something better to find
Leave the broken pieces behind
There’s something better to find. . . .

 

Story behind the poem:

This poem was written in response to some of the hurt and regrets that I’ve carried with me. The jars in this poem stand for memories, relationships. And sometimes, these jars are broken, either because of something we did, or something someone else did. And we so often carry these broken memories around. They make us sad and tired. They make us want to live in the past. They fill us with regret. They stop us from living life they way it was meant. Pots can be replaced. The broken memories need to be thrown away. Ok, we’ve lost a friend. Perhaps it’s because of inevitable circumstances, or perhaps they stabbed us in the back. No use crying over spilt milk. No use carrying the broken vases with us. Perhaps we did something stupid, and wrecked a relationship or hurt a friend. Don’t keep what you broke. Build it again. What is the point of carrying sharp shards that cut us when we can start anew and make something even more beautiful? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting we throw friends away. What I am suggesting, is we throw away those things that others and ourselves break, the memories, the relationships, and build better and stronger ones in their place. We all can be better people. 🙂

 

GZ