They said no to you,
They said no to those parts they didn't want to see,
They said no and slowly you said no too,
Erasing colors and shapes from the canvas of your personality.
They were only a few and they didn't know any better,
But their no was resounding and it hung over you,
Becoming an anthem.
You learned to hide and disguise,
Moving swiftly among others,
A stranger in your own planet,
Those parts of yourself banished,
But I see you,
I see you and I know I'm not the only one who does.
All around,
Hiding,
In disguise,
There are others who were too banished,
Who were branded strange or difficult or too much or too little,
Their canvas,
Like yours,
Is waiting to reveal itself and what a beautiful collection you will be,
Full of rich colors and free shapes,
Stretching across land and sky,
Painting this world differently.
Perhaps you've already found one of these kindred spirits,
Unknowingly at first,
And when the disguise fell,
You saw into each other's souls,
What a treasure,
To find home in another person,
Or it could be that you're still searching,
And sooner than you think you will find them.
One day you will be walking on this earth,
No longer hiding,
And they will see in you the parts they abandoned in themselves,
Just like you did,
And you will free each other.
Gently think of the times when you were told,
Don't be like this,
The times when you learned what to do and how to be in order to please those you loved and those who judged,
The times when you had to eliminate entire ways of being and doing,
Perhaps you suppressed your anger,
Or the right to be messy and imperfect,
Maybe it was your sensitivity and you had to build a shield so that others wouldn't see how deeply you felt,
Or you gave up on a particular interest or belief that was frowned upon,
Perhaps your soul was playful and adventurous and you had to conform to a life where you weren't supposed to color outside the lights,
Or your nature was quiet,
Prone to reflection,
But you were expected to be at the forefront,
Chanting warrior songs,
It's ok,
Those parts are still there,
Waiting to be loved and accepted,
Waiting for you to come home,
They are here to serve a purpose,
To make you feel whole,
More present,
More connected,
More alive.
There is no such thing as the right way of being or the right way of doing things in life,
Those who think there is are trapped in this belief because they've never seen beyond their own canvas,
They banished some of their parts too and never knew they did,
But you know better,
Because you're here with an open heart and your banished self continuously whispers I'm here,
These are the parts you need to embrace,
See those parts as vibrant colors and dancing shapes inside you,
Ready to break free,
With each breath the colors become more vivid,
The shapes bigger,
They feel joyful,
Expansive,
They're used to hearing no,
But today we're saying yes to them,
Yes,
You are accepted,
Yes,
That was just someone else's opinion,
Yes,
You know what is right for you,
Yes,
Those kindred spirits are out there,
Waiting,
Yes,
This canvas is ready to see the world,
And as you say yes,
A wall shatters and nothing can contain all the parts that make you,
You,
They are free,
They are beautiful,
And they are necessary,
There is no need to hide,
There is no need to wear masks,
All that is left is the need to embrace.
