Poems From The Porch
The cold has driven me inside,
and so has the need for approval.
While my body’s shelter is found
in my prayer room at home,
to relax and release shame
requires a different inner sanctuary.
I must connect to the holy truth
that my identity comes from God,
that to show up as myself
requires no apology.
I must detach from the mental commentary that judges,
with labels like arrogant and overly-confident,
too much or not enough.
I must open my heart,
like a lifeline,
to the Love within me,
my true Source for esteem,
Who says that it is not my job
to manage others’ responses to me,
their perceived looks of disdain,
that my only job is to be me,
fully and without compromise,
beloved and cherished
as part of all that is.
And so the wise adult part of me
embraces the little girl and rocks her,
inviting her to breathe into the present moment,
to claim her sense of wonder
and to receive unconditional positive regard,
self-compassion blossoming like a rose
emitting the sweet fragrance of Love.