Excellent From pain to peace (third place) The beast and the beauty by Wendy G Free Form Poetry Contest contest entry

It is lurking, ready to pounce, with horrid power Watchful eyes staring, ready to punish . . . I am a coiled spring, spiralling into despair Tensing, sensing … the evil beast of silence. It is gliding, ready to leap, with frightening speed Submerged, wide jaws ready, with power to devour . . . I am drowning, lungs full of hurt Tensing, sensing … the evil beast of silence.                      ..... But YOU! You were meant to care To provide, nurture, share . . . But love and talk are rare. I feared you, like the beasts, anger and shame consumed me I am punished by the unspoken words You've hidden, withdrawn, and I am left Tensing, sensing … the evil beast of your silence.                    ..... Now, yes, NOW I am at peace Now I understand, and now I am free . . . And I forgive, and offer love. The silence is warm now, not cold It's a gift of love, beauty to behold                  ..... Silence is a dawn – God's whisper of hope It's a sunset – a golden benediction It's a lake – still as a silver mirror Reflecting His heart . . . No fear, no punishment No tensing, just sensing The miracle of His love Unspoken words declaring through nature The beauty and comfort of silence. Recognized Author Notes Withdrawal of love is a punishment. Silence brings fear and tension, and is an emotionally damaging form of abuse, towards either a child or a partner. One anticipates a painful death of the relationship, here compared to death from a wild animal, or an alligator or crocodile. Then the propagator is confronted. After the storm of rage and fear, maturity brings understanding, leading to forgiveness, which in turn produces peace and love. The final part does not see silence as a fearful beast, but as a beautiful blessing. The heart filled with God's love no longer fears the damage of human punishment, but sees and appreciates the other aspect of silence, which is its comfort and beauty. I have tried to indicate changes of thought with different shades and dots to indicate stanza breaks, because of spacing issues.

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