How do I lay my love down
in the dust for you to tread upon?
How do I let my heart lie
open to rain and sun and sky?
How do I tell you today
you hurt me so deeply yesterday?
How do I gather the rags
of dignity into my tattered bags?

Answer me, love, for I am reality:
Strength, not fragility.

I make no promises easily,
that come from realms of fantasy.
Truth stands by itself
seeking no pedestal, no shelf.
Do you accept this love of mine
without the gloss and the shine?
Will your heart arrange
to accept mine without a change?

Answer me, love, I am your soul:
Unfragmented, integral, whole.