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I AM


I am
 
A woman
a student
and a friend
 
I think deeply
listen intently
and have a passion
for life
 
I work hard
and I play hard
 
For real life
must consist
of a balance between
 
Work and play
study and rest
action and inaction
 
But I also know
too well the pain
of rejection
 
And of being misunderstood
by those I love
 
And by those who I thought
loved me
 
(anxious moments create
within the soul
a debilitating disease
 
and trust is hard won
if you’ve been lied to
long enough)
 
 And so I hide myself behind
a shroud of doubt and uncertainty
afraid to reveal the real me
 
But if I were to lift the veil a little
to show you who I am
 
Would you still like me?
Would you still love me?
Would you still be my friend?
 
Taking risks makes heroes
of us all
for it means we are willing
to be hurt
 
But it also has a way of freeing
us from our fears
 
Piercing the veil requires time
and a whole lot of effort
 
To learn to trust again 
takes a series of small steps
 
With many bumps
along the way
 
You have to be willing to reach out
take that leap of faith and believe
that there are good people out there
who don’t want to hurt you
and who have your best interest at heart
 
Sometimes all it takes is
 
A warm embrace
a comforting smile
an understanding look
or a word softly spoken
to open what you closed
and to tear away at the curtain
that hides the real you
 
Perception becomes reality
only if you allow it to
 
And it takes great courage to rise
above the lies that people
spread about you
 
In the final analysis
you can call me any name
you want
for I am more than any insult you
can throw at me
 
My name is Bailey Pilant
and I am an
 
Authentic
Generous
Intelligent
Compassionate
Dynamic
Trusting
Spiritual
Loving
Human being
©All Rights Reserved

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