Acceptance

"No amount of honesty 
can make me see you in a different light."
The words of reassurance I have been 
aching for.
Have I said too much?
Vulnerability and courage walk hand in hand;
dread pacing steadily in their shadow.
Exposing the deepest truths is 
not for the faint of heart,
and mine trembles with earth-shattering 
intensity.
Did I misjudge the degree of safety?
Have I put an undue burden on a soul 
that is already over-extended?

Once the walls crumble,
the fear of rejection is all-consuming.
I've been here before.
Swept up by the wrath 
of countless misunderstandings 
and projections, I crashed 
when I expected to land softly.
Could this time be different?
The anxiety builds.
I stand naked, shivering,
my heart in my throat.
I want to snap my fingers and veer off 
the path I choose.
But my feet are stuck to the ground,
the roots wrapped around my ankles,
and I cannot move.
I think I may be dreaming.
I try to shake them loose and suddenly
I slip out 
effortlessly.
“No amount of honesty 
can make me see you in a different light.”

Bathed in tears,
free from the shackles of the past,
I sense the calm settling in.
I rise tall and feel steady. 
Light but unmoving,
I bring my hands together in front of my heart
and thank the universe for this unfamiliar level 
of gentle acceptance.