The Truth

Standing hesitantly by the door,

I look at the people bustling in the room

My friends, my brothers, my kin and kith,

Joining in for a celebration of me

On each face there is a joyous smile

A sense of belonging – a sense of pride – for me

How much all of it means to them -

My friendship, my love, my success, I

'So much love around me,

'But why do I feel so lonely?' I thought

A feeling of guilt, of fear, of emptiness

Of living a lie.

At them I look again,

And it hits me-

They are MY people

They love me, know me, understand me.

My reservations, my fears, my doubts - I shed

The walls I had built - I bring down

Waiting within me – a hundred voices to be heard

Into one unite – as I think aloud

The words I spoke then,

Were the truest ever.

For I had lied enough,

To the world, to them, to myself

I saw then, the horrors, the pain, the shock

The consequence of truth

Faces turned away, some frowned, some pale

The love lost, the joy gone, the pride smashed

The hostility began to slowly brew

As it reached the brink – a voice cried

'You're a shame!'

A heathen, a freak, a disease!

There I stood, shocked, hurt, betrayed

I was brave, but not strong enough

These people – I knew not anymore

Their hatred- like flames to burn me

But then there was the irony,

I felt happy, I felt relieved

At peace – with them, with the world, with myself

I had done what was right

For the truth was not for them to accept,

But for me to embrace

The truth –

That I am a man – and dare to love another!