Animal Rights and Other Poetry By Shenita Etwaroo From All-Creatures.org

I locked myself away,
so carefully and so tight,
I drifted endlessly from day,
impossibly to night.
I tried to accept my misery,
as the only life I’ve ever known.
Though I didn’t allow myself to hope,
though I told myself not to believe,
as it was the only way I could cope,
I still found myself having to grieve.
No matter how I tried to protect
from the pain and hurt I’ve faced,
never giving anyone the opportunity to reject,
I still longed so deeply to be embraced.
Wistful and lost I called to you,
without ever knowing your name,
I didn’t dare to think it could be true,
but still, against all odds, you came.
With a key to the prison I created,
you unlocked all that I am and could be,
with a love that must have been fated,
finally shared between you and me.
You became my haven,
in which I could finally rest,
and forget all that I might have mistaken
for being for my best.
Now I know better because of you,
the angel by my side,
now I know that love so true
is something that can’t never hide.
For every wish I ever made,
you are my shining star,
I know our joy will never fade,
No longer alone, you are never far.
You turned my stormy night,
into an endless sunny day,
you turned my darkness into light,
and I am grateful in every single way.
Thank you for easing my pain,
thank you for unlocking my soul,
thank you for all that I gain,
when your loving presence makes me whole.

© Shenita Etwaroo