Heart of the Matter

Prose from 2006

I said to myself I must replace this heart.

 There isn't just one missing piece  but  a bunch of defective parts. 

Couldn't fix it myself.

 The connection here is lost, 

the wheels are rusty, the nails are bent. 

What type of heart would I like instead?

 Not diamonds too hard,

 or sand too elusive slips through the hand. 

Maybe a copper heart strong, shiny, but malleable at times. 

My heart is like a patchwork heart, pieced together with many types of material and textures .

In some places it has ripped easily and is mended several times. 

The patchwork heart is resilient  in places

 where it cares more about  others then itself, 

and weak in places where it wasn't wise to care.

 I can dream of a day when my heart will be unfettered free free free. 

That I will not try to capture someone else's heart for my own, and they can't capture me.