do you know that it is not just

the whole and healed

parts of who you are–

the parts that you bring out

in settings polite

that you deem worthwhile

and fit for public consumption

 

these are not the entirety

of the ‘you’ that matters

[and i am sorry you were ever made

to feel as if they were] and

all the parts that you tend to conceal

do not make you less than

 

we are all a mixture and a mess

and every part of us is welcome

–because how can we ever become

the whole if we consistently deny

the portions that need tender love

and care to adapt

to heal

 

and all of these things we consider flaws

might just become gifts in the end

as they teach us about what it means

to be human for others and ourselves

and therefore

how to grow

 

Heather Pound 2024

Photo by Aedrian on Unsplash