I shed a tear today,
Not one of joy, but one of sorrow.
It burned like fire as it rolled down my face,
Even so, my heart was freed for one split second.

Freed from all the pain,
All the sleepless nights,
The countless remarks,
And the closet full of masks.

For one second,
My heart leapt with joy.
It was almost as if I was a child on Christmas,
Opening a much-desired gift.

But then, the tear fell,
And as it did, the second stopped.
The heavy burdens came back,
And a new mask was put on.
Not one pulled from the closet, but one just bought from the factory.

It didn't fall on the collar of my shirt,
Or on the leg of my jeans.
Instead, on the word "forgive" written in black and white on a page of my Bible.

I stared and desperately wanted the tears to continue.
But the ocean of pain was stopped by a barrier.
The barrier was the word forgive.

If only I could forgive,
I could cry and my heart could once again be freed.

"Forgiveness is the key."
It's been said many times before,
But never has it meant so much,
Or left such a mark as it did today.

One word is the key to my happiness, and to the freedom of my heart.

"FORGIVENESS"

age group 13-16