“Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don’t know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings.”
Love died when the lash was used,
when you to inflicted pain
because pain was what you knew
it was how your world operated.
afterwards you stood back,
observed the scene, smiled wickedly
as you took in the mayhem
and basked in it.
Love died when you said fuck off
that you didn’t care
if I lived or died
you wanted my life a misery
to see me suffer the fool,
ruined, discredited
threatened destruction
but you still punished the innocent.
Love died when you became oblivious
when you acted, denied, queried,
yelled and screamed because that’s what you do
the tantrum your default position
the spoilt brat, who clawed and cut,
when nothing went her way
thought nothing to stab and wound.
never once seeing your sins
always the idiot was at fault.
Love died when the child was denied
warmth as a basic right
you cast her out
denied responsibility
for she had left you, injured and damaged
to find her own way in darkness
you cared little about
as you turned your back.
Love died from weariness
from trying, protecting, reaching out
being slapped down one too many time,
it’s too late, backs were turned
each one guilty of its demise
they walked away, refuse to answer
made their lives, their loves
for you to wish for.
Love did die, over a time
but it survived, it struggled forth
from the abyss of suffering
little by little its shape reformed.
they gather round, they sing
they look at each other
say we are family
forever forward.
Love could well have died
but we nurture and rejoice in each other
as love has been rekindled
given a makeover, renewed
with hope and laughter
regular gathering, regular contact
no lashes, no pain, no fear
Love only.
Morpethroad 
Oh Summer – I think this is in the one of my favourites category. The cruelty is felt in your words, the pain, the rawness, until the last 2 stanzas where love was felt and rekindled. A beautiful and sensitive write my friend.
Thanks RM, despite the prompt I wanted it to have a ‘hope’ ending. Love can never die, we have to find ways to rekindle it.
You did well my friend, and in other areas ~ rekindling can be quite fun 😉
In this case hard work..but worth it..
So powerful and raw! These prompts are really opening you up to a new way of writing. Love it
Thank you. This was a challenge one I did have to work on. Thanks BA.
You can really feel the torment in this what a emotional ride it was and the hope at the end I wasn’t expecting but I am very grateful for because it gives me hope
thanks so much, for me the ending had to end in hope not despair, there was enough of that in the past.
Wow, your words have a huge impact. Very powerful with a beautiful ending. Love it. Reowr!
Thanks Cubby, not sure if to say happy you connected is the right thing to say, but thanks again for reading.
Love goes through a lot. What a revival when someone or a few someones walk into your life to give it’s almost death a new jump-start.
Thanks RoSy, yes so easily love could be killed off, but resilience revives it.
So evocative, such angush and then hope. Lovely 🙂
Hello Melanie thanks for that lovely comment. Please call again.