Betrayal

Betrayal by a loved one,
The greatest test of all,
And nothing hurts more on this earth
Or builds a higher wall.

For having thus been wounded
By someone that we love,
The searing pain cuts deep within
More than we're conscious of.

For trust has now been broken,
No longer safe we fear,
And something that we once held dear
No longer we revere.

A caution then develops,
We fear that we shall tread
On scarcely hidden land mines,
And so we live in dread.

With loved ones we're so vulnerable,
Cross words can leave such scars,
They echo in our heads for years
And closeness then it mars.

O Lord, help us to watch our tongues
For they can cause such pain,
Grant grace that we can soon forgive,
No bitterness retain.