Broken hearts
Pieced back together
With gold
Extracted
From kind words
And selfless acts
Melted and turned into joy
That was once tears
Now washing away pain and hurt
And replacing it with
Peace and happiness
Rejoice and heal
For the heart
Is more valuable
Once broken
Now pieced together
By joy
Pure as gold
Cape Verdeans are Citizens of the world
And spread
Throughout the world
Speaking
Multitude of languages
Holding
Wisdom and knowledge
Worldly lessons
Education and experiences
Making us
Powerful people
Healing Through Poetry: Engagement Ring of Deception is an accumulation of poems written by Mariadaluz Fortes. It tells a story of strength, finding God, and healing through the heartbreak of falling in love with a devil disguised as a man. It reminds the reader that pain and hurt can break us; but we can also use it to heal and navigate life and love, while being whole and setting healthy boundaries.