When I sit with you
And you show me your self
You reveal the pain and darkness
And all the times your innocence
Was closed down in fear

I see you
I see inside you
I see that which is not broken
I know you want to fix yourself
Because it hurts
But there is nothing to fix
Because you are not broken
Just wounded

I see your vulnerability
And sadness
Your anger and doubt
But there! In all that
I see your beauty
Still there, hiding, waiting

I see your innocence
Not gone, just waiting
Silently in the shadows
For the moment it can return
Surely it will return upon death
But there is a way
To allow innocence back, now

Innocence is the heart
It is like the sun
It can’t break
It can be hidden by dark clouds
That last a lifetime

Open all your doors
The ones you have kept closed
For protection all these years
You no longer need them
You are stronger than you know
And your strength
Is your openness
Your tenderness
And your reclaimed innocence.

Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay