A House Divided by Kathleen Chamberlin

A House Divided

The war within me rages still:

An endless ebb and flow, high tides and low

A riptide of dangerous, clashing emotions.

Fear and Despair arm their crossbows

Launching a fuselage of barbed arrows,

Streaking across the no man's land of my soul

Striking the breasts of Hope and Confidence.

They stumble, bloodied, to kiss the ash-strewn earth.

The assault falters teetering on the brink

Then Hope rallies, diving into the fray.

Shields clash, swords clang, blood spills.

Ground gained, ground lost

The outcome uncertain.

Days turn into weeks and weeks to months

And months to years

The turmoil leaves the landscape ravaged

No victory in sight.