Hidden in the darkness of the heart or
in the blinding headlights of the world,
thoughts transformed into words
seek to escape.
They long to be heard,
and absorbed by others.

However, these words must first find the courage
to be expressed,
released from the recesses
where they have
been buried by fear, pain
or distrust.
For if they remain unspoken,
do they truly exist?

Yet they do exist.
They stir within the space
between the real and the unreal,
between darkness and light.
They seek to break free, yearning for freedom
from the bondage of silence.

From the cracks and crevices of the spirit,
courage is discovered, and a slow exhale follows.
At first, a word or two … perhaps three … moves from within
to a clearing of understanding.

There is a sense of relief,
as if a weight has been lifted.
In the sharing of the raw and true,
the soul begins to breathe again …
still not whole, but less in pain.

And for now, that is enough.

Michele Luckenbaugh is a patient advocate.