Stay Soft
It’s a little tender,
a little weighed down,
and a little chipped
around the edges.
It’s flirted with fire
danced with betrayal,
and kissed the blindsides
of the unknown.
It’s putting on armour;
a cage without a key
but stay soft dear heart –
hard things break faster.
‘Stay Soft’ is a poem inspired by the various forms of heartbreak and the consequential hardening of the heart. As the human heart has a universal need for love and connection, the experience of rejection or abandonment can be very traumatic and cause the heart to breakdown in distress. We may feel heartbreak after a relationship breakdown, during conflict, or when a loved one moves or passes away.
Heartbreak can be extremely painful. I have had to learn to initiate boundaries to guard my heart from harm, and to develop right expectations to prepare myself for goodbyes in a transient world. At times, I have taken this too far to the point of hardening my heart and withdrawing in relationships. A hardened heart may appear tough and uncaring, but it is actually brittle and fragile because not only is it sensitive to unresolved pain, it is now forced to face the world alone and unknown by anyone.
On this side of eternity, even healthy relationships will be messy because humans are messy. If we want to see our relationships flourish in love and maturity, we need to have the courage to engage with soft hearts that are open and vulnerable. We need to value the hard work of commitment and compromise, confession and forgiveness. When things get messy, we need to cling to truths that promise eternal safety and belonging: The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 118:6)
On this side of eternity, we need to persevere with soft hearts – because hard things break faster.
Did this poem speak to your heart?
Do you resonate with my experiences?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Feature image by Evie S.
