The ice cracks
Warmth seeps in
We feel
We remember
It’s hard
We recognize patterns
Living without life
And even though we have broken through
Regrets haunt us
The wrong turns
The hurtful defensiveness
What might have been
Obvious, now
Anger to be acknowledged and given expression
Not stuffed inside
And over time released
And then we can authentically grieve
What was, wasn’t, could have been
Tears replacing fears
The thaw continues
No longer as conflicted
Happiness slowly unfurls