Poem by Dana Young
I appreciate your honesty
Even when it flows from reluctant lips.
Lips that love to speak praises and encouragement.
Never wanting to fracture my previously wounded heart with unwarranted
Constructive criticism.
So you hide behind your smile.
Unaware that the truth is in your eyes
Eyes like shimmering pools of water,
Reflecting my inner turmoil.
As my fear of failure and my doubts
Are revealed in every part of my body.
Reflected in the way my hands make fists, and my bottom lip is tucked between my teeth
Bitten like my nails the night before
This conversation.
The fear of the outcome weighing heavily on my mind.
My thoughts clashing, begging for a truce.
An end to the madness.
Begging for a moment of peace.
In this moment of silence,
A strange kind of solace appears
Almost peaceful
Briefly, until one sentence from you shatters the calm surrounding us
Putting a halt to my runaway thoughts.
“Sorry, I know how hard you worked on this but-”
The sentence hangs in the air,
Unfinished, but the ending is obvious
In the way the downward tilt of your mouth
And the sadness in your eyes reflects pity.
It’s hard to say the words that you know will crush me
And fuel my doubts.
After my artwork was rejected again.
But I still appreciate your honesty
Especially when it comes from reluctant lips
Lips that hesitate before speaking the truth
In your attempt to protect me
From bad news and from myself.
Poetic Blueprint 