Psalms of My Broken Heart

I open the windows
to the psalms of my broken heart
knowing that
my grief
embedded words
won’t resonate
with many.

____________________________________But, there is something about
________________________________the sweet release of my bated breath
_________________fogging up my view of what lies ahead
as the lingering summer rain trickles down
reminding me that pain — this pain
is only temporary.
______________crying out from –
______________the psalms of my broken heart,

He stares at me in amazement
wondering how these scars
have molded me into this
man that reaches with the
outstretched hand

I have found myself buried
in these trauma bond trenches

I now know
that this
grief garden
is where I
belong.

This is where
the rebirth
starts.

Darius Phelps is a PhD candidate at Teachers College, Columbia University. An educator, poet, spoken word artist, and activist, Darius writes poems about grief, liberation, emancipation, and reflection through the lens of a teacher of color, as well as experiencing Black boy joy.