Tears

Tears, too long welling up
Tears, unreleased, restrained
by a collar of hope you were
too kind to cut. Tears of fears,
tears of doubt, tears of anxiety,
tears of worry. Bitter tears of
regret, biting tears of despair,
caustic tears pressed from
now-crushed dreams, all
now freely flowing, hope,
sliced away by you, too kind
to leave it wasting there. But
a cut meant to free bit a little too
deep, and while diamond tears
gush from agonized eyes, dark
crimson drops pour from my
soul. Released, the tears must
run their course, cleansing the
wounds torn by your liberating
bluntness, disinfecting them of the
wasted love and hope left to
fester in the lacerations you
had to make so I could let
you go. The tears flow until
I am left hollow, ready to heal,
to carry on with new scars,
and new hopes…