Broken Pottery

A Poem.

Some would see a broken pot and throw its pieces away.
This would be considered a perfectly logical thing to do for most.
But in my heart, I cannot do it.
For there are cultures out there that place value even in that which is broken.

Carefully I gather
the shards and all that remains,
And lovingly glue them back together.
Someone worked hard on that piece after all.

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery
with lacquer and dust of gold, platinum or silver.
This takes something that is broken and not only fixes it but
enhances its beauty and value even, making it better than before.

How most days I feel like a broken pot.
I spend my time walking in a hazy blend of fear, worry and regret.
Sure, there are moments of happiness, joy and excitement
interspersed amongst the sadness and depression.

But I feel as if they are too few and far between.
Too many days I feel fragmented,
scattered and smashed,
and ready to be discarded.

Yet I know that in time my pieces can be put back together.
If done without care,
in a rush and great hurry,
I will never again hold water.

But if patience is used wisely,
I will not only hold water but emerge all the greater, more vibrant than before.
So carefully, piece after piece,
I struggle to put back that which is broken.

I am not an ancient relic,
with missing pieces gone as sacrifice to the sands of time.
I am modern,
though stubbornly handcrafted.

Glossy is my glaze,
textured are my ridges.
I am complex and unique.
I am one of a kind.

Even as I sit,
temporarily incomplete,
those lines of gold that you do see
only add to my value and self-worth.

Rome wasn’t created, destroyed, or rebuilt in a day.
No. Each stage took much longer than anyone would expect.
And so it shall be with me.
Please don’t mind my construction.

I am busy building and repairing myself daily.
I am more than just a broken pot.
I am a creation ever in the works.
I am worthy, I am art.

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I have to read this poem often to remember that those words speak truth. I’m not one to freely allow myself grace. If I could get it tattooed behind my eyelids, I would so I could ingrain into my mind the message inside it. That message holds up for all of us, I believe. It’s just a matter of deciding if you want to bother picking up the pieces and putting in the work or not. Sometimes we aren’t ready to go through such a transformation. That’s okay, but once you pick up one shard, you might as well pick up the others. Hope you liked it. As always, like, share, and subscribe, please and thank you.