Gentle

Please be gentle with me

Tender enough

To set my wounded soul free

I never realised until recently

The depth of fear and feelings of not good enough

That live deep inside me

And most certainly it is not your task

To help me to remove the mask

That hides the truth of how I feel

And don’t they say

That feelings are not facts

But may in fact

Be remnants of other stories left inside

That still live on

As toxic seeds

That no longer deserve

My nurturing

Help plant much better thoughts

Ones that give me strength

Even through gentleness

And tenderness

For I am tired of the pretence

And of being crushed inside

By such a brutal killer