Retreat

i entered the room  

dragging my doubts behind me  

a suitcase stuffed with  

sarcastic defenses and closed windows  

the air was heavy yet gentle  

like something unnamed  

lifted within me when they spoke  

a tenderness i didn’t trust at first  

their words were threads of steel  

soft as silk yet cutting through me  

unraveling the knots  

tangled at the base of my chest  

i didn’t want to surrender  

to the sharpness of truth  

but their voice guided me softly  

toward where the light waited  

what i thought was skepticism  

was just fear in disguise  

it melted that day  

 puddling at my feet  

i walked away lighter  

a part of me left behind  

and in its place  

possibility bloomed quietly