Laid Bare

This is me. This is who I am. 
Accept me! 
Please. 

Open like the pages of a book 
flapping in the wind 
of gossip. 

Words spoken in shock –  
surprised silence 
takes over conversation. 

Time is a healer 
so space shall be provided – 
to get to know me. 

Who I really am. 
It’s taken quite a while, 
but I know now 

that this is right – 
I’m on the correct path – 
I’m where I’m supposed to be. 

Don’t judge – please. 
Just try to understand 
that who I was before 
was not me. 

It was a vision, of 
who I thought I should be. 
A path I thought 
I needed to go down – 
one I was supposed to travel. 

But that is wrong. 
It’s not right. 
In fact – it’s living a lie. 
I know I have to be true 
to who I am inside –  
so I can live life to the fullest. 

So, I’ll just say this… 
I’m now an open book – 
pages showing elements  
of who I truly am. 

I’m not ashamed or embarrassed. 
Essentially, I’m proud 
of my real self. 

I can be who I am. 
Living the life I want to live 
and being the person I want to be. 

Actually, now – I’m just me.