After The Battle... Poem by WIN VENTURA

This body—
not just skin and bone,
but a sacred vessel
that carried me
through fire and frost.

It broke,
yes.
Cracked in places I couldn't see,
screamed in whispers
only I could hear.

And yet—
it stayed.
Through the sleepless nights,
through the heaviness,
through the breathless prayers
for one more day.

It fought.
Quietly.
Bravely.
Bleeding beneath the surface
without asking for applause.

And now,
as I rise,
I owe it everything.

No more skipping meals.
No more punishing silence.
No more treating it like an afterthought
when it's been my fiercest ally.

This body—
scarred, sacred, still standing—
deserves softness,
deserves rest,
deserves love.

Because after all it's endured,
the least I can do
is take care of the home
that never abandoned me.

✍🏽By: - WIN VENTURA