There is an image
in my thoughts,
this person who is me,
who is lost, who is not enough,
who lives in perpetual struggle
with phantoms and demons.

This is a picture
hovering in my brain,
a glossy magazine photo
of who I wish to be,
so perfect, effortless, noble,
who never falters, only shines.

There is a reality
beyond any of this,
a truth that shines
amidst the turmoil
inside this soul.

There is a light
within each of us,
a beauty we cannot comprehend,
a destiny so great,
nobility quietly waiting
to be expressed.

God loves each of us,
just as we are.

He has opened the door
for us to discover
our true nature,
but we walk past
and choose another path.

If only we could
dig beneath these layers
of misconception
and see the brilliant light
within ourselves, within each other,

how quickly this world
would be transformed
into paradise.