What a different person I could be

It broke my heart, taking all the love away
and filled my mind with bitter words to say.
Warping my view of the things I could see,
blinding my eyes to the good shown to me.

It blocked my ears from loving words said,
and darkened my thoughts ‘til my mind was dead.
Forbidding my lips any kindness to tell
and firing my tongue with the flames of Hell.

It taught my hands to reject and not embrace
and led my feet to a most loathsome place.
Distorting my spirit and disfiguring my soul,
it consumed my life as it took its toll.

What a different person I could be
If I stopped hatred burning up in me.
It is so good to know that Jesus can
enable me to be a transformed man

This poem was a finalist in the April 2018 poetry contest