A pair of white scarred legs
Shamefully hidden for so long
Locked behind secret bars
Of fear; cold and black.

Tattooed echoes of inner pain
Haunting memories of
Hopelessness
That will never fade

What am I afraid of?
Curiosity? Disgust?
Those I considered friends
Turning away in fear
Or hatred of the incomprehensible

But here on this island
Where the wind breathes freedom
And the waves sing of courage
Here I dance
Leap into the sea,
My scarred legs
Splash like a child’s
Jump over the waves
Kick up the sand

These shameful scars are touched by the earth
Caressed by the wind
Played with by the waves

They understand
They soothe the pain
Of years gone by

The fear lingers in my soul
But the shame is washed away.
The scars remain to remember
The whirlpool of emotion
That fuels my spirit