They only see the good sides;
That is partly my fault. I hid
Everything else from everyone else,
And hid parts of myself too.

On the coarse landing carpet
I gave myself temporary light
For permanent words; words that
Can never be unwritten, in
Hours we could never get back.

Was she sleeping, or was she
Lying awake in the dark,
Wondering where I was?

It is another world now.
Those rough contours seem
A lifetime ago, even though they were
The first thing I felt this year.

Through the days and weeks and
Months since, I have gradually
Emerged from my spotlight to
Reclaim that of myself I had
Left in darkness, and to commit
Yet more words to eternity.

The need to hide has
Disappeared. I am fully myself,
Flaws reflecting the unforgiving
Light of a new day, and
Still I am loved,
Still I am understood.

It is this freedom whose
Absence has been the chains
That bound my soul invisibly.

Now, words arrive and
I do not have to swat them away.
There is room for them in
All of my days, just as there is
Room in my heart.

08/24/2016

Posted on 10/02/2016
Copyright © 2024 Richard Vince