pretend you are not fragile
pretend you are not humble
pretend your story does not contain
all the reasons you cannot be happy
and even before you are ready…
pretend you are exactly what the world needs right now
silence, while I let that sink in
silence, while the complaints rise up in you…
silence, as you make your case
that you are not worthy
how you are not enough
have not done enough
silence, as you confess your deepest fear
that somehow – in your innocence perhaps –
you have allowed some small sliver of evil
to enter this world
to which I say, yes!
and leave it at that.