Laid Open

(Written for a competition: Dare)

Being myself
as daring I dare
to be who I am
and hang it midair,
nothing to guard me
no wall to protect
years of excuses
nostalgia
neglect.

All of my
thoughts
and my feelings
laid raw,
nothing to comfort
the truth of the Law.

Broken and savage
and laid
in the box,
my paints are all dried
my sidewalks all chalks.

At this time
of life
with my lifetime
laid out,
there's nothing
protecting
my north or my south.

Here I am nearly
as naked can be,
the long and the short
of the old codger me.

runningturtle87