of opening

anais told us
that the day came when
the risk to remain tight in a bud
was more painful than the risk
it took to blossom

i wonder whether rosebuds
have such fear before they
unfurl their petals
not knowing whether they will
bear rosehips

whether pinecones
quiver with apprehension
before they release their seeds
unsure whether they will find earth
wide enough for them to become trees

to bloom, to open, to release
not knowing what may come
is such a difficult thing

i have borne that fright
as i felt layers of me
being pulled back, pulled away
uncertain what might be
revealed, made vulnerable

what would happen to that which was
so accustomed to the dark
upon exposure to light

whether i would burn too much
whether something vital
might be lost

but there is that truth
that so much growth occurs
in darkness
which we will not see
unless we allow it to meet
the sun

that when the sun arrives
the clouds must melt away,
however slow the process,
whether they evaporate
or fall as rain

that is the way of things

so when light arrives
even when it seems
to singe our edges

somehow
eventually

we will find ourselves
ready

and whatever may come
there will be beauty.