Tell me, do you know sorrow like me
Are there shadows in your heart
Where pain hides
Where shame takes shelter
Do your footsteps leave an imprint
Of a story trodden long ago
An indelible memoir
That is as much a part of your being
As the blood that courses through your veins
Tell me, does the thread of faith bind together
Your shattered pieces of hurt and loss
Are the wounds of your life
Eased with the balm of knowledge
That there are others that ache
As you do
Do you show only a sliver of who you are
And keep the rest safely concealed
A sanctuary with closed doors
A hideaway within
Tell me, are there pretty little ugly thoughts
That swirl inside your mind
Is their winged beauty a disguise
For their dark interior
Do you hold on tightly to your memories
Your moments of the past
Are there fragments of frozen time
Stored in the vault of your soul
Does past grief creep into your present
Clutching at your skin
Drawing you back to a time
That is as wretched as it is beautiful
Exquisitely piercing with its intensity
Tell me, can you bear the light
Of another dawning day
Your blemished heart illuminated
With the break of a sun
That seeks out your sadness
Your smarting soul
Do you cry out with tears
That scald your cheeks
With their crushing honesty
Showing little mercy
For the anguish that rises up
As the torrent flows forth
Tell me, do you long for the old places
The comfort of yesteryear
The touch of the hands
That held yours
Tell me, can you find who you are
In the chaos that surrounds you
In the noise that near drowns you
Do you know who lies within
Who shines out
Who waits to be born
Do you wake in the night as I do
Searching for something
Glimpsing the trace of a substance
Fleetingly faceless
Filled with emptiness
Showing itself briefly before slipping away
Unwilling to have it’s identity placed
Tell me, do you know the wilderness in me
The barren land
That is scorched and deserted
The drought whose thirst is ever present
Do you recognise the fist of fury
That lies coiled within me
Where anger dances with fear
Are you torn at the seams as I am
Unravelled and broken
Tell me, does the maddening crowd engulf you
Do the moving masses overwhelm you
Or is there a sense of peace
Knowing that the hordes offer a protective cloak
To cover your bare being
Is your vision clearer with your eyes closed
Do your lips tremble
With the weight of the secrets in your mouth
Is the taste of your truth bitter and sharp
Tell me, what ghosts do you shrink from
Who are the demons that hound you
Where is the place
That refuge is finally found
Tell me, can you follow the fever
Right through to where it peaks and breaks
Can you let the calm come
And claim it’s corner
Can you look into the fire
And find freedom in the flames
Tell me, where is the space
That your wild thoughts roam free
Where the leash is let loose
And the colours of your mind
Are held captive no longer
Tell me, do you see the light in my eyes
That shows you you’re home
The glance of recognition
From one lost spirit to another
A hand held out in hope
Tell me
Do you know me too
Skylar Liberty Rose is a big believer in the healing power of creativity and the freedom found in living your truth. She is a writer, street photographer and yoga teacher with an emphasis on manifesting dreams through action and visualisation. Skylar is an advocate of stripping away layers of conditioning and instead discovering the person you are truly meant to be. She is inspired by souls with spirit and courageous hearts. Skylar grew up in London, and now lives with her husband in New York City. You can follow her on Twitter, FB, and her blog.
