a tender thing : truly seen

A tender thing

You open your wounds to me

And I see instead of just the pain

Your exquisite vulnerability

No shame in this

Although all around us in society

Those ferocious beasts of judgement

Tear down the walls of true intimacy

Such a precious gift you gave to me

Saying how much it hurt

And then when you told of it

They tried to say you were lying

This made me cry

But they were invisible tears

There was such deep love in me for

That young boy

Who needed the love and protection

So absent

Maybe we are attracted as friends

Because of mutual suffering

But I want you to know

Your secretes are valuable to me

And if others only see the rage

I am glad my own pain

Enables me to see

To the love buried deep inside

To the center

The bleeding heart of it

To that naked desperation

For your real soul

To be completely honored and respected

To be truly and deeply

Seen

Valued and known