Unmasking

oh what
pleasure
to strip away the bravado! Bare
with who I am, embracing
my shadows as well as
luminescent follies, revealing
trueness of soul
beyond
skin.

I feel you here. A steadfast,
lingering warmth,
unassuming; not
giving or
expecting brilliance, or
fireworks, or strokes of
genius. Just
presence.
Being.

You reveal once again how
beautiful we are
in our
simplest form — where
we close the door
on performing and
perfecting.

You repose, aligning with
me, and help
shape my confidence to just
be, laying patient
and seeing through
layer upon
layer of grief, anger,
joy, hunger, lust, and
expectations–
until finally I can
reach up, unmasking my
psyche to
be not afraid of
these deep
feelings, rassling
mind, soul, spirit and
body to a moment of
stillness and
connection.