Shame Destroys

Shame destroys.
It blinds the heart,
And buries the soul
Under layers of lies.
We look good
And act normal,
To stay hidden and safe–
But the dysfunction leaks out:

The alcoholism, the incest, the violence, the addictions, the bigotry, the mental illness, the failure to launch, the snobbery, the righteousness, the intellectualism, the passivity, the lack of empathy, the dependency, the codependency, the overachiever, the underachiever, the victim/perp cycle, rape, corruption, nationalism, narcissism, irresponsibility…

But unconditional acceptance
Of the hidden family truths
And personal secrets
Will free you from self hate.
Own all of it to change it.
Look shame in the face
And say GO TO HELL!
And look life in the face
And say HELL YES!
And look your wounded self
In the face
And hug her
And whisper “we got this”
And start a new life…