i’ve been letting go of heavy things and i’ve been healing a spirit…

i’ve been letting go
of heavy things

and i’ve been healing
a spirit, and tending to a soul, and
listening to a heart. and i’ve started to
exhale. and to breathe in… and to
breathe. in. a life

…and i’ve been letting go of
so, so many heavy things

– butterflies rising

little by little
i’m learning to love myself.

and it might be slow,

but i’m certain in letting go of
all the things that tell me i shouldn’t.

– butterflies rising

breathe easy now…
you don’t have to carry other
people’s heavy anymore

– butterflies rising

you cannot try to silence
a collective pain for so long and not
expect a collective rage to eventually come.

– butterflies rising

i spent so long aching for him to be good to me,
to just let someone be good to me…
it’s a whole new muscle memory
my heart still has to learn.

– butterflies rising

i forgive you…
for treating me the way you
felt about yourself

– butterflies rising

what if only,
when you feel
her reaching for you,
you could reach too.
maybe go a little higher.
just let yourself stretch.
and let your heart grow.
what if only,
instead of pulling away,
instead of trying to pull her down,
you could just go a little higher.
you could let her fire be bright.
and you could let your fear be small.
what if only
you could let the way you see
yourself be stretched…
you could let your whole. soul. grow.
i know you wonder what it could be like…
if maybe it’s beautiful there.
so what if only…