Do not cut those ties
To those you have lost.
The blade hurts beyond bearing
And cuts more than you know.
Let those ties fray rather
In the winds of passing time.
Thread by thread
Strand by strand,
Time wears the fabric down.
The first to fray is need;
Wiry like old roots,
It shrivels without feeding
Becoming dry and brittle
Before finally snapping
And becoming dust
That the wind catches
And blows away.
The next to go is illusion:
Flashing through rainbows
Of coloured pasts
That become slowly
Monochrome and clear.
You see things as they were
You see the truth
A skilful pen and ink sketch
Showing the bare lines
Of what there truly was.
Anger goes next,
Serpent-strong, writhing
Shrieking with fury
Dull red and thick with misery;
It grows quiet, finally
Stills its thrashing
Lies quiet and subdued.
You look again,
And it’s gone.
Each strand that bound you
One by one wears out
Frays to nothing
Snap!
It’s gone.
And when each tie is gone,
You may find that one alone remains,
Bright shining silver,
Gleaming in the kinder light
That time will bring you.
This is the thread that never frays
Never breaks, never snaps.
If at the end of all the threads
This one remains,
Then leave it be.
Cutting this one
Only cuts your heart.
Photography: DL Davidson, Poem: Vivienne Tuffnell
