Places I Won't Go

i'm standing before you—

naked and vulnerable,

with nothing to lose and nothing to prove.

i don't know who you are anymore,

but your softness draws me in.

i feel your presence in the wind

and it feels familiar,

like steadiness,

like home.

i don't know why you feel this far

or how this even happened,

but i swallow my pride to ask you:

do you see me?

are you angry with me?

these days

i apologize more than i talk;

i feel like i'm messing up everything.

my friends leave when i self-destruct

but you're here, waiting.

holding out your hand of kindness.

how could you take me back?

show me the real you,

no gimmicks

no exclusivity or judgement,

just love and forgiveness and commitment

sweeter than anything i've ever known.

your reality is stronger

than my feelings.

you meet me in the deepest valley—

and i find you in my quiet place.

help me believe.

---

—a poem for you.

did you read it?