Love Poem: Faithful
Nykki Houtkooper Avatar
Written by: Nykki Houtkooper

Faithful

Learning to let your words
stand as spoken,
a broken place in my heart 
is reaching to find hope
in an inhospitable space. 
I sit in my bed and dread, 
searching for the bravery 
to accept comfort in your reassurances.

I have always wanted to believe.
Ripped out of the wall and disconnected, 
the hum of the radio cradled me,
waiting for my cheating husband to 
come home and discuss the phone bill.
The torn red vinyl seat 
of an after-hours diner
steadied my hand 
as my best friend disclosed her betrayal.
Taped and tied down in a corner
you can find a very small and unnoticed
me, praying to never be 
brought back to these places.

Roused from jaded reflections, 
I find myself so in love with you 
that I have to leave it be.
I sip tea and breathe in
the peace that only trust brings.
Faith is intangible.
It is as conceptual and euphoric
as forever, or always, 
or happily ever after.
If faith is believing in something
I've never seen before, then I will have faith.