even
on the darkest days
of my life
there is beauty
to be found there
too
the beauty of the stranger
who was working in the church across the street
from the house where I was living
when it got broken into
when I got broken into
she held my shattered pieces
as I called 9-1-1
and my then-husband
and waited for the ambulance
she didn´t worry
that my blood would get on her clothing
and it did
she held me
and prayed for me
and gave me a safe harbor in that tsunami of a day
the day I nearly died, but didn’t
18 stitches on a head wound
my head wound
inflicted
by two hollowed-out-shells of men
looking for money to buy crack
and the internal wounds
that bled over an entire lifetime
that robbed me of my dignity
she held me
and cradled my heart
and prayed out loud
and there was such beauty
in that stranger
pure, radiant love
that when I think of that day
as I still do now
thirty-six years later
I think of that amazing woman
and her unconditional love
and I am profoundly grateful
I wish I had been able
to return to that church later
to thank her
this is my thank you letter
to the beautiful stranger
that terrible day when I nearly died, but didn’t
even
on the darkest days
of my life
there is beauty
to be found there
too
