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Little Pieces of My Heart

Tolah

Updated: Jun 2, 2024


Photo credit: Tim Marshall

People say that having children is like little pieces of your heart walking around with arms and legs.

But hearts can be broken,

and they want to climb too high, run too fast, don’t look out for cars, or strangers

just waiting to steal their innocence away.


I took my piece and travelled around the world.

Trying to find the missing bits of me and warm loving soil to plant them in.

The trouble is I was taught to always look over my shoulder. To keep people out.

Stand alone and fight my corner.

My piece got sad. Felt lonely.

Saw the world as them and us. Challenges to be overcome.


Then my piece found another piece.

Broken in different places, but beautiful all the same.

I couldn’t help myself.

Our pieces came together and made a blended whole.

Now bits of our blend run around chasing dragons and doing cartwheels with laughing curls and a tiger’s roar.


How did the pieces get so shiny. Like crystalline light dazzling in all directions.

Is that what happens when the pieces of your heart are given space to grow in the lovingly tended soil of your open arms and warm hugs.

Is the sunshine of a loving kiss enough to give those pieces wings.


I don’t want them to fly away.

I want to be able to protect them always.

But how can they grow if I keep them in locked boxes in the loft.

How will they change the world if I peek at them in my pocket checking they are safe, wrapped up in tissue paper so they don’t feel the cold.


It’s hard the first time you feel a piece of your heart take its first shaky steps away from you. You feel a tug in your chest where the piece should be.

And you never want to let that go.


But I guess the harder you pull, the harder it tugs and tugs and tugs.

Until one day the string breaks and it’s flung much further away than you can reach…

...And then it takes a long long time for it to find its way back.

I don’t want that.


I like the idea of little bits of me shaking things up around the world.

Those doughy arms and legs are now strong enough to climb their own trees and run as fast as the wind.

But I’m here and I’ll aways be here.

The warm loving soil that created them, waiting for them to come home when they’re ready.

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