Cracked

My hands are cracked
From the wire and the wood
And the long days of fixing and breaking and playing. 

My lips are cracked
From the weather and the wind
Beating against them, challenging the skin’s integrity. 

My hair is cracked
Its split ends telling a story
Of loose braids and fast horses. 

My saddle is cracked
From the rain and the mud
And the years of wearing it down till it fits just right. 

My boots are cracked
And in need of replacement
But I can’t give up the way they slide on with ease. 

My heart is cracked
From the ones who didn’t love me and the ones who did
And the many things I wished for, both granted and not. 

I am cracked
From the beatings of the world and my many wrongdoings
But I thank the Lord, He shines through the broken pieces. 

-PR