illuminations

when she spoke
i could feel the words rushing through me
a cold breeze cuts to the heart
exposing truths about ourselves
from the inside out
cleansing our souls of our parents’ burdens
learning to unlearn
as the leaves of my soul flutter down the vacant country road
and i swoon
as i release the latch
of the cage
where my dreams live
so they can move on without me
why do i not see me in the mirror
and who is this man
smiling back at me?