When we enter people’s homes, we notice stuff about them. We notice how they decorate; we notice paintings on the wall, and we may notice if they collect anything. If you were to come into my house, you may notice that I collect angel statues. They are everywhere; some displayed in a curio cabinet, and others sit prominently on the floor. A closer look may also reveal that most of these angels are damaged or broken. It’s true. Some of them have had their wings or their arms fall off from various accidents over the years. This happened so many times that I literally asked the universe one day if it was trying to tell me something, or send some kind of message. This was the inspiration for this next poem.

A very special angel really hurt me to my core when she was broken. She was purchased in Salzburg, Austria, in the church where Captain Von Trapp and Maria from my favorite movie, The Sound of Music, were married. She had her wings broken off after my cat jumped onto my dresser where she was standing and knocked her over. Like I mentioned, this was a tough one because my mom and I shared a special connection over The Sound of Music. My mom had also visited Salzburg several years prior and brought back a beautiful carved jewelry box that plays “My Favorite Things” when opened. When my mom passed away, that item was willed to me. So I had placed the Salzburg angel next to the jewelry box, never expecting the cat to jump up there and knock her over. If you have cats, you realize I should have known better.

There have been many times where I thought to get rid of the broken angels, but I could never find the heart. They are still beautiful and worthy to me, even though they have flaws. This is the same with people. None of us are perfect. Most of us show signs of wear and tear, and we would not want to be discarded just because we may have lost our youth and beauty or because we have an injury or parts that don’t work like they used to. When we are younger, I feel like we look for that perfection within ourselves and within our friends, partners, and acquaintances. We are very hard on, and sometimes even critical of, those around us who have flaws. I am happy to see that as we get older, we cut each other and ourselves a little more slack and give grace for these imperfections which have now become a part of who we are. I choose to think those imperfections not only make us human, they add to our character, like a seasoned leather bag.

Broken Angels

In my house are statues
That stand so proud and tall.
I cannot pick a favorite;
It seems I love them all.

But each one of these statues
That greet me every day
Have one thing in common . . .
They’re all broken in some way.

Some have had their arms fall off
And they cannot hold their wares.
Some have lost their eyes,
So they look forward with blank stares.

Some angels now have broken wings
Which also breaks my heart.
Perhaps I should discard them,
But I find I cannot part.

Because these statues are like humans;
We’re all broken in some way.
Some injuries are in plain sight.
Others we tuck away.

We don’t discard each other
Because we don’t like what we see.
Most of us are different now
From whom we used to be.

Most of us have damage
And skin that may be scarred.
Most of us are not unscathed,
Because life can be so hard.

But still, we’re like those statues
That stand tall every day.
Broken parts and all,
We accept what comes our way.

We make the best use of our skills
With the parts that are still strong.
We hope that where we’re lacking
Someone kind will help us along.

So like those broken statues
That I cannot throw away,
I choose to look beyond their flaws
To the beauty they display.

And so those damaged statues
Are anything but weak.
For their flaws just help build character
And make them so unique.

It is the same with humans . . .
It should really be unspoken . . .
We should not discard each other
Because parts of us are broken.