the aftermath

​The Aftermath
by Andrea Ivy

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With tattered clothes and salty, sea-drenched hair, I emerge
From the refuge that held me for all of those months.
Eyes still closed, I feel warmth on my face again as gratitude swells in my heart.
I breathe in relief like air, and life fills my lungs once more.
Silence displaces the shrill screams in my head.
Calm. Quiet. Peace. Assurance.
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Eyes wide open, distress creeps into them;
 An unwanted visitor slowly taking over the home of my mind.
All I can see are the insecurities that now litter
The shores of my heart, remnants of a life once lived.
I slowly sift through the rubble scattered in the sand:
A picture of him and her.
Shooting pains through my soul.
A document, “Final”.
Heart  pricked with loneliness.
In the distance, I hear the faint cries of two little boys
Whose home lies broken before them.
Hurt. Helplessness. Anxiety. Fear.
 
Eyes slam shut!
My heart speaks to my head.
The tiniest whisper transcends to a song.
A faint, yet familiar melody crescendos in my ears.
“I will never leave you!”
I feel the same arms that wrapped me in the storm
Like a warm blanket, now hold me in the aftermath.
 
Good! True! Noble! Gracious! Beautiful! Best!
Now lifting my eyes to the One that makes everything work together,
I no longer see the mess, the wreckage, the chaos.
I just sing.
Loudly, as He works me into His most excellent harmonies!

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A David Prayer
Psalm 108 
1-2 I’m ready, God, so ready,
    ready from head to toe.
Ready to sing,
    ready to raise a God-song:
“Wake, soul! Wake, lute!
    Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!”
3-6 I’m thanking you, God, out in the streets,
    singing your praises in town and country.
The deeper your love, the higher it goes;
    every cloud’s a flag to your faithfulness.
Soar high in the skies, O God!
    Cover the whole earth with your glory!
And for the sake of the one you love so much,
    reach down and help me—answer me!