Free Verse
A Child Saved
A Child Saved
Dark, lonely, lost
A Child trapped in herself.
The world doesn’t pause for her pain.
Broken, lying on the floor
Unable to lift herself to her feet.
For so long she could put on her mask
But slowly not even it could hide her struggle.
Defensive, scared to face reality
She couldn’t look back at the image in the mirror.
Full of shame, the wounds only cut deeper.
Four closed walls became her life.
What was beyond this contraption of misery was spinning too
fast.
Physically weakening every minute,
Her mind couldn’t grasp the truth.
Lies were all she knew.
They were the only words that could escape her lips.
The glass was no longer half full,
But had been drained to the bottom.
No amount could keep her in this falsehood.
Forced to open the door,
All she could see was ruin.
It was as if a catastrophe had blown through what was on the
outside.
There was only darkness and chaos.
As she began to collapse for the final time, she was caught.
She realized she hadn’t hit the ground.
An Angel had grasped her yet again.
Why? How had she ever earned a rescue?
She was not meant to meet her Father this way.
It was as if he had come through one of his Angels to show his
Child that He has always been with her.
This Man she had run from every chance she could had given her
Grace.
She finally had no where to run.
It was time to begin picking up the debris from the wreckage
that was before her,
For she had been the tornado ripping through this beautiful
place.
Where does she even begin to rebuild what had already been
destroyed?
It is finally time for the mask to come off.
What was underneath was just as scarred as she had expected.
Her childlike-innocent beauty had vanished.
She knew there was much work to be done if she was ever to see
that beauty again.
Little did she know that her Father had already aligned a team
of his Angels in her path.
She would quickly meet a living picture of what her life could
be if she would follow the road before her.
This particular Guide would reach this fragile girl in a way
that would leave only one explanation.
Three particular words spoken by this chosen Angel would give
life an entirely new and hopeful meaning…
“You’re a bright spot”.
Never did this child that had been hiding, trapped in the dark
Ever think she could shine light unto others.
What her eyes were opened to next would forever change her
life.
Her heart slowly begins to re-open.
She gradually walks closer and closer to freedom of shame.
The failures she had sustained now make her stronger than
imaginable,
For now these setbacks appear to have had a purpose.
With the Angels taking her by the hand,
She makes her way toward the light.
No longer is she consumed by darkness.
She has a hope and joy better than any she had ever
experienced in a dream.
This child has been given another chance at this world.
One with the opportunity to share her experiences and
God-given Grace she has been given.
The word “alone” no longer is existent in her vocabulary.
She now looks forward to tomorrow,
While not having to fear the night,
For she knows that she is being embraced by the most powerful
arms of comfort and strength.
Knowing the life to come will be a long journey, she is ready
to face it
Walking shoulder to shoulder with the Angels God has given
her.
About Lauren
Byrnes
Lauren Byrnes was born in
Mattoon, Illinois in 1985. She is a 2007 graduate of Northern
Illinois University, earning her degree in Business
Administration with special studies in Finance and Spanish. She
began writing poetry while in high school and has never stopped,
as most good poets don't because they can't. For her, writing
began and continues to be an outlet for her emotions. Nothing
could prevent her from saying how she felt when it was between
just her and the paper. Her poems are from the heart and though
some are filled with pain she strives to be inspirational for
others with her words. At the age of twenty-four she has
experienced many obstacles that people of all ages could relate
to. She allows her relationship with her Higher Power to guide
her to share her experiences, strength and hope with others, in
the hope of exuding hope and compassion. She currently manages a
coffee shop in her hometown of Mattoon, IL and continues to feel
inspired to write daily.
This is Lauren Byrnes first
appearance in Sketchbook.
