Delicate Orchid

Crushed-
Like the delicate petals
of an orchid
after Spring's first rain;
helpless and deadened,
pelted by heavy drops of anguish.
The essence of the soul washed away,
the pain of the realization that
beauty has been stolen
devours the spirit.
Soft velvet turned to burnished steel,
and there's only
the lifeless shell,
limp and dripping,
that bears the evidence of what once was.
Unable to fight,
shame burns like fire in the belly
of an angry beast.
The rain soon ebbs away,
and the broken remains are found...
Nurtured and soothed back to life;
until, once again,
its fragile spirit is restored-
And the delicate flower
that is my soul
stands strong
as it sways gently
with the summer breeze.