The Crucible
If you find yourself
Bruised and battered
Crushed and broken
In the crucible of life
Know you can stay there
Or you can feel the heat
As the flame works to
Remove the impurities
Refine and rebuild
And shapes you into a ring
Of such beauty
Ready to be offered as a gift
To a hurt and broken world

Thoughts
Sometimes a poem like this needs a suitable image. This is not that image. This is one of three experiments with facial hair. Each one is a warning to future generations.
© John Monaghan 2026. All Rights Reserved







