Look again

Don’t look, see.

Sometimes
When the sun rises,
And the stars fall,
I look
And I see.

I see the roses
Blooming,
Soaring above,
Avoiding the thorns.

I see the sky
Shimmering,
Tantalizing,
Just out of our grasp.

I see myself
A smirk on my face
In the reflection
Of the darkness.

I see my soul,
Creeping,
Crawling,
To avoid the hard,
Stiff,
Unmovable
Grasp of safety.

I see myself,
Every sign of happiness
Flaking off
Slick
From the butter
Of pain.

I see myself
Smiling
And peeling back my mask
To reveal
The true me.

The sad me,
The angry me,
The confused me,
The secretive me,
The vulnerable me,
The truest version of me.
The side that nobody sees.
Until
They make an effort.
Until
They relate.
Until
They empathize.
Until
They gain trust.
Until
They see me.
So please
With your heart on the line,
Take a chance,
A wild leap of faith,
And look
At me
Again.