i garnered
strength
tho my heart laid bare
when darkness came
and bound me there

in places far
from all I loved –
from all I’d sworn to be
into the shadows
heaven followed me

with something more
than pardon
a measure more than some
when bruised –
I found my weary soul
at home

touched by grace
I could not see –
by love I had not earned
beyond the touch
I’d waited –
was every truth
returned

. . .