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poem
Meeting yourself gently
A compassionate turn toward the afraid self that has been trying to survive.
Dying to Live
Oh dear one, I hear you…
I hear your crying, your pain, your fears
I've watched the way you tremble
In the weeping, in the struggle
The way your shoulders sag
Under the weight of worry
Exiled by extrinsic expectations
From the truth of who you are
I know the endless questions
The insurrecting doubts
Parading the darkened subways
Of your mind—beneath facades,
Behind the painted smiles
Of polite congeniality
You just want to fit in, to be liked
You just want to be cared for
To be held with love
You fear being
Disliked. Rejected. Ostracized.
You fear you are
Insufficient. Unworthy. Broken.
You are afraid of dying alone.
Oh dear one, it's ok…
It's ok to cry
I'll sit with you while you do
I will hold you
As you shake
As you tremble
As you feel
As long as you need
Then,
When you are ready
I will remind you…
You fear rejection and dislike, but
You know self betrayal hurts worse
You fear ostracism, but you know
No cage is worth inauthenticity
No matter how gilded
You worry you aren't enough, but
How could you not be?
There is no other way to be you
Than the way that you are
That doesn't mean you won't grow
That doesn't mean you won't change
You will, continuously
But in each and every moment
You can love who you are
You can love where you are
Because simply being you
Is enough
Beneath all those fears
You've been dying to live
Not as someone else
But as the truest version of yourself
Yes, you will die alone
This version of you
And the next…
And the next…
And the next…
But I'll sit with you as you do
Every time
I'll be here holding you
Through every moment
So let yourself cry
Allow this version to die,
But gently, softly
And let yourself weep
To release the fear
You were never meant to keep
So trust,
You will be reborn
More you than ever
Because you are dying
To finally live