there are times
when the truths
I hold close to my heart
throw themselves
against the cage of my chest
peck at carved bone and muscle
woven lavender and thorns
they fight to break free
splinter the silence
release nightingale’s song
so pure
so haunting
that all that remains
is echoing heartbreak
black feathers & moonlight
piercing the night

© 2017 Christine Elizabeth Ray – All Rights Reserved