Woman With a Towel, 1898, Edgar Degas
Off with the layers of sadness.
Painfully peeled one by one
with reflections of my storied past
and a future of hope and healing.
Time to bear my soul
to those few I hold close to me.
Re-open old wounds and ugly scars
that are physically present for public consumption.
View them and draw your own conclusions
yet look beneath the skin you see
and see the real hurt lying deep below.
View with open mind and open eyes
not with eyes closed protecting you
from these unsightly pains before you.
These wounds are mine.
Earned from alcohol and abuse
during the years of innocence we call youth.
Look deeper till you see my heart
injured and still bleeding yet
still pumping the very life that is me.
Search deep within me
and find the love and caring
that I know exist within me.
For you my dear friend
are the one that can help me heal
with your gentle ear and sensitive nurturing.
Only then will my bare skin become
soft and beautiful.
And I will find my peace
in the life that is before me
and beyond.
This was written for The Mag #163
Mind of Shoo 
Your poem is powerful, raw … I cannot imagine the pain you endured. Thankful to know healing is possible.
Thanks for your kind words. The layers are still being peeled…searching for a cure. Pain is a part of life..we all experience it just some at an earlier age.
An interesting take to use the nakedness for vulnerability and truth.
Very kind of you to say. TY
Your words move me. Emotions tangible as you expressive the vulnerability, pain and hurt inside. The damage a human endures can be eased through the gentle, caring and nurturing of a loving soul. So true. Your words are well written, revealing and healing. Be at peace, as you can.
Glad you were moved by my words. TY
I meant them too!
TY..your words mean a lot to me. It feels great that something I wrote could move someone. Its humbling.