Unfiltered

Unleashed from the chains of superficiality,

And yet unveiled to the castigation of my characteristics

Unfiltered, I am vulnerable.

Decorated with charismatic and captivating attributes and achievements,

And yet wreathed with mistakes made along the way

Unfiltered, I am distasteful.

Expunged from the shallow misrepresentation of untainted excitement and elation,

This face of imperfection withdraws the deceptive act of filtering out hardships and tribulations

Unfiltered, I am an arduous creation knotted with complications

And yet,

Unfiltered, I am beautiful.

Unfiltered, I am inspired to be who I am,

And all that I am,

For I cannot live the life I long for if I drown myself in falsification.

Unfiltered, I am guided,

As my future feats are illuminated by the light of my past.

While even in my most acrid anguish,

Still I rise.

Unfiltered, I am perfectly imperfect.

Though the very definition of who I am is colored with flaw;

I wear my humility on my sleeve, unfiltered.

Curtis Clem