She says to me,

“You get to figure this all out. 
What a beautiful
challenge to overcome.”

She suggests I look 
not to the trauma 
or the pain
but the fear. 
Fear of being left. 
Fear of being seen. 

“You look through lenses 
scratched and clouded.
You feel through fear.
Until you know your ground,
until you know 
what you want 
and expect nothing less,
you’ll continue to question.
You’ll continue to feel doubt.”

I look to her
tears decades old 
decorate my face. 

“So what now?”

She looks at me with 
a knowing smile.

“You already know.”