The Memoir Of Ms. Butterfly

I speak aloud,
and the world echoes back—
a reflection I never saw
until now.

I was always here,
beneath the layers they painted over me,
beneath the wishes of others,
The expectations pressed against my skin.

Love is possible,
as long as I dare to unfold,
to chip away at walls built in fear—
but fear
is a stubborn architect.

To open the door,
to hand over power—
Isn’t that the same
as handing over the last piece of myself?
I have given my body to others,
because without them,
I cannot move forward.

But my heart—
My heart is my own.
And if I hold onto it,
If I keep it locked away,
Who will ever truly
know me?

Ms. Butterfly Genesis