Excavations of the heart

Beneath these lives we lead
           beneath the surface
the truth of ourselves
           the depths that are hidden
the strengths and the fragilities
           that we display when we enter
into relationships
           the text of ourselves
that we offer to the other
           all the versions of ourselves
that have gone before
           refined and tailored
for present company
           all that we lived
and all that we loved
           way back in the present
of those past times
           the curve that brought
learning and sometimes
           forgetfulness
an easing of the burden
           of our histories

To have loved in innocence
           to have survived the thrills
of childhood and adolescence
           to be where we are to day
where you are today
           where I am today
self-contained bodies
           brimming with love

John Lyons