A Glass Full of Stars – A Poem

It has finally happened.

After seven years,

I have been able to

break free. Part of me

expected to feel sad

at the loss, but its

been seven long years.

That’s time enough to grieve.

All day, there was a sense

of euphoria within me,

rising to the surface.

I compared it to an earthly miracle,

something you wish for

but won’t happen until

you take matters into your

own hands. Behind me,

I could see the chains

whenever I turned around.

They were tarnished and old,

but they were broken

and lay behind me, scattered

like bread crumbs leading

to part of my past.

I knew I would never

go back there, would never

revisit that part of my life.

On the way home, a man

kept following close behind

me. I would turn and catch sight

of him out of the corner of

my eye and then he would be

gone. When I got home, I

came into my apartment

and found him standing there.

Looking at him, I realised that

I was looking at my younger self.

I was downtrodden,

I was cut off from everyone,

I was alone, even though

I was supposed to have love.

Holding out my hand, I said:

“Why have you been following me? I thought I left you behind.”

He nodded, smiling at me.

“You did. Today, we’re both free.”

I watched as a light began

to build within him, filling him

with a brilliance that shone.

I was astounded to feel the

light inside of me that had

been building all day respond

to the light of my past self.

I looked at who I had been

and embraced him; he was still

a part of me. Part of who

I had become. I felt his

light enter me and felt whole.

He pulled back and looked

me right in the eyes.

“Never be ashamed of your past mistakes. Just embrace your future.”

He began to shine even

brighter and the chains that

were wound around both

of our wrists, the last of them,

glowed a brilliant blue

before breaking away.

He began to fade, but before he

did, he said to me:

“Have a drink for who you were, who you are and who you will become, okay?”

When he was gone, I stood there,

free and whole once more.

I would be raising a glass

filled with stars

tonight.