Open Sky Heart

It went off with a bang.

Bullet holes opened their fanged mouths in my chest

As the rest of me curled backward in open-mouth shock.

Flailing arms, widened eyes, and hot disbelief blown skyward...

Another Wednesday.

The green summer grass could look through me,

Look through my open sky heart.

.

What did the grass see?

Was it the betrayal scattered like landmines in my ribcage

Or the erupting dreams in my arteries?

Could the grass see the ghost lifting out of my body,

Shifting into something full of fury?

Or was it focused on the blood aerosolizing around me

As the long road ended?

.

It's the end of something, for sure.

Dwelling thoughts spell "inescapable end"

But I can't widen the focus because

The bullets have already been fired,

One, two, three.

They flashed in my core with clarity,

With the blinding force of finally seeing the truth.

.

It was a farce.

.

The encouraging hand on the back was a gun.

The words I clung to, poison.

Lies whispered enough become the truth and someone

Was a very good puppet master, tricking me closer to the altar

So I could be blown open and bleed for them.

So I could satisfy.

And I have not satisfied.

.

I have not jumped when asked

Nor slipped the pretty bow back in my hair.

I spread roots in the earth

And shaved my head free of expectations.

I reached blooming branches towards the dreams whispered

In my ear only for thorns to erupt from the ground

And give me an open sky heart.

.

* This was in response to Poppy's Prompts Challenge since it looked like so much fun! The link to the original article is below.*