My Invitation

My friend, Laurie, shared a poem, The Invitation, by Oriah on our writing circle page yesterday. I decided to use it as a mentor poem to create an invitation of my own.

It doesn't matter to me
where you came from.
I want to learn 
where you plan to go
and who you want to join you
on your path to this destination. 

It doesn't matter to me
if you have a sordid past.
I want to discover 
what you've learned 
from your missteps 
and how you help others 
avoid the same pain you've felt. 

It doesn't matter to me
if you're rich or poor.
I'm more interested in 
the wealth of your spirit,
the bank of your kindness
and capacity for self-sacrifice. 

I long to uncover
your secret hopes, your hidden fears;
and, if they happen to match mine,
I hope we can link hands and
face our demons united.
No preconceived notions.
No judgment.

I need to hear 
how you justify your feelings
of disappointment, rejection, pain
in order to keep moving along,
not trying to solve anything, 
just trying to make it fit 
into your world
without shattering your delicate psyche. 

It doesn't matter to me
if you lie a little
or a lot,
if that's what you need to do
to protect yourself
or others. 

It does matter to me
if your lies make you feel empty,
disingenuous,
or if you buy your own untruths,
wrap yourself in them 
like a protective cloak
that keeps the chilly wind at bay. 

It does matter to me
how you feel...
how you really feel
because I would love to share
my true feelings 
with someone who
won't withdraw from me
when I shed my veil. 

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