Lessons

This is a poem for all those
Who have loved
And lost
And wished to God that they had never loved at all

I've climbed that mountain
Felt the stars at my feet
Saw the air below me
And dove head first into cold concrete

I've been stripped bare
Laid out shivering before a crowd of angels
Shown a destiny that was never meant to be mine to hold
And tasted the blood of the lamb
See love is a lot like religion
It requires faith to grow
Belief I had plenty of
But faith never showed

So here's lesson one
Never confuse two
Faith flows in time to music
But belief will leave you blue
Your heart may ache for perfection
But your soul cries out for grace
Never settle for perfection
Perfection will spit in your face
 
Love is a realm where smoke hardly ever means fire
Instead mirrors are always in bloom
Never miss the opportunity to look at yourself
This is lesson two
You may be searching for completion
Someone whose soul may melt with yours
Try to steer clear of that illusion
Complete the self first
And always love it more

I know what it's like
To lie awake each night
Listening to the sounds of your heart breaking
(Mine sounds like a frozen lake
Upon spring's first awakening)
I know what it's like also
When sleep finally comes
To dream of the one you've been longing for
And the feeling the morning after
That you've been beaten to a pulp
Because dreams aren't reality
And reality will swallow you up

So here's lesson three
Let the tears fall easily
Baptize yourself in them
And never wipe them from your face
The time will come
When you will learn
To savor their salty taste
The more you fight the sadness
The stronger it will grow
Destroying both the body and mind
So let the tears flow

The hardest lesson of all
I've saved for last
It's number four
You may always love them
But learn to shut the door
Remember your love for all it was
Their scent
The way your bodies fit
But never harbor fantasies
And wipe your hands of it
I know it's hard
And trust me
I've failed at this several times
I've tried to capture what once was
I've used misdirection
And I've suffered for my crimes

But this I have faith in
Faith, not belief,
Remember lesson one
Sometimes the path to truth is found alone
Stand strong
And it will carry you home