Tell me who you are.

Tell me not the familiar,
the embellished well-worn
fantasies woven into facts.
Tell me only your story’s truth.

Reach deep – open long-barred doors.
Unleash the undeniable cowering in a corner.
Tackle the guardians of your psyche,
lay low the purveyors of hidden shadows;
shine a blinding light on buried memories.

Release the raw, the wild, the broken,
the bone-deep cravings;
liberate libatious longings,
give voice to silenced screams.

Brave the bereavements;
strip bare the inhibitions;
fight the flames of fear.

Take my hand.
Tell me

who you are.

Evelyn Hampton is a member of the Jersey Shore Poets. Her publications include Monmouth Review, The Lyric, Asbury Park Press and Stories of Music Vol I. She is inspired to take pen to paper by the restorative power of humor, music, nature and human connections.