I am frightened.

I feel the heat of the Beloved's
unrelenting, all-exposing light.
How will I handle
every shadow erased,
every secret stripped bare?

Such vulnerability can only be borne
with the assurance of acceptance.
When I am known–
naked, authentic, true–
can I be loved?

Will I be loved?

You say, "Yes."

The curtain tears in two…

Text and image © 2012 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.