The Alchemy of Pain

 

First the cut

An unexpected wound

In the fabric of our frame

Shaking our serenity

In our pain

We twist and turn

Lash out and shout

Seeking someone to blame

Yet the wounding is

The necessary part

The start of

The alchemy of pain

We must endure the pain

Tying our souls to this stake

We must undergo the purifying fire

The chemistry of transformation

Then our tears must flow

Through cuts and scratches of our soul

The salt of tears much cleanse the wounds

Left by purifying fire

Tears must wash our soul

As sands are ocean washed

For in the wave of tears

The debris of the fire is cleansed

In the space

Of fire and water

A hollowness is formed

Through which the spirit wind does flow

And in the echo of the spirit

If souls are stilled

We start to understand

The alchemy of pain

For while we think

We’d like our lives

Trouble free and grand

Pain is a necessity

In the wounding and the fire

In the water and the salt

In the echo of the spirit

Pain is transfigured

Through the vein of pain

A thread of gold now runs

And in an aching soul

A space is formed

And in that silent space

Transformed

By alchemy of pain

Beauty in perfection blooms