Without Explanation

I’ve been poked and prodded for years:

to explain, to defend, to leave another piece

of me at your altar. And while what I’ve torn

off has grown back, I looked at my scars which

said today, no more. And when I honored them

by saying I was done, you flared and tried to

shame me into more. But I have outgrown

giving myself away. And so, saying nothing,

I walked into the rest of my life. You

demanded I come back, explain, apologize.

But the part of me that waits on others to

verify my worth had died in my arms. And

so, I stopped trying to catch every slight

and judgment that came my way. I turned

finally to life itself and felt the sun welcome

me into the unrehearsed spark of the day.

A Question to Walk With: In conversation with a friend or loved one, describe the part of you that waits on others to verify your worth. How might you affirm your own worth?

*photo credit: Pixabay