At the intersection of Assertiveness and Apathy
Our silence speaks volumes of the fear that someone
might discover that we are human beneath our masks;
That our virtue is not tainted by conventional sin,
but by our willingness to stay dead inside
rather than live a single moment
of pride dismantled and being seen
in our raw state.
Dignity is neither given nor earned,
but realized in one’s soul,
where we find that positivity is not about eradicating,
but about shedding light upon
the self we hide in the shadows.

©2016HAWilcox