Love, Poetry

the heart is a muscle

Martha Spong

the heart is a muscle
in a spasm of hope
it leaps

the heart is a muscle
at the touch of a hand
it murmurs

the heart is a muscle
in the midst of love
it pounds

the heart is a muscle
it strains
it tears
(will it recover?)

needs heat–
not ice–
for therapy

the heart is a muscle
(it throbs and it aches)
a wound inflames it

but a muscle can heal
with time
and rest

my heart is a muscle
it finds its rest
in you

— May 7, 2012

Published by Martha Spong

Martha Spong is a United Church of Christ pastor, a clergy coach, executive director of RevGalBlogPals, and author of Denial is My Spiritual Practice (and Other Failures of Faith) with Rachel Hackenberg.

4 thoughts on “the heart is a muscle”

  2. Oh! This made me laugh. God will have her little joke. I found out today my kitty has a heart murmur. On any other day I would have looked here and seen depth, poignancy, beauty. Today the coincidental topicality of your poem amused me. I laughed.

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