Cracked open

I found some cracks within myself

Like fissures going long and deep

It split my being into pieces small

Just held together, ready to fall.

I quickly gathered myself together

Afraid I might just fall apart

The world shall watch my disgrace

And mock at my shattered pieces.

I quickly got some cloth and tape

Trying to hold me back in shape

Holding the fragments with all my might

Concealing all my efforts and plight

I poured cement so my breaks contain

Thought I could be whole again

Pretending to be perfectly fine

Weighed down by the cement and lime

Finally, the weight and efforts gave way

I broke and down my pieces lay

Some helped gather while some passed by

The moment of truth had come by.

I stopped denying myself just then.

And embraced all my pieces again.

An old potter melted some gold

Between my pieces that he poured

As my flaws with gold he filled

I was full of beauty and thrilled

No longer did I hide my crack

And truly got my whole self back!

-Shamika Ghaisas

27/07/2022

This poem came to me inspired by the Japanese concept of wabi- sabi which gently nudges us to accept and embrace imperfections and see beauty in them. I love the concept of the Japanese pottery art of Kintsugi where broken pieces of ceramic are held together using gold. The gold is used to highlight the cracks rather than the usual attempt to hide them. And ta-da! A beautiful piece of art (with functionality too) is created.

I feel that the journey of therapy too is almost like making a human kintsugi. The therapist acts like the potter who pours gold into our cracks and helps to integrate our fragmented pieces back into ourselves. Embracing ourselves wholly including our shadow aspects and seeing the immense beauty therein is a beautiful experience that therapy can offer.