A Little Boy Who's Scared

I slip in and out
of life and love
skirting under the radar,
avoiding stares.

I shade my self in shadows
an outline in the air
delighted in your knowing
I am there.

I'm afraid that if you see me
emotionally bared,
fully exposed, you'll
run away, scared.

I ache and long for closeness
a touch, a hug, a care
my badly damaged soul
is so afraid to share.

I was beaten and betrayed
when just a little boy
by those I loved the most,
a childhood robbed of joy.

Today, I bravely show myself
as much as I may dare
through kindness in my acts and words,
through feelings I now share.

So, if you see me lurking
in the shadows under the stairs,
it's not a bad man hiding,
it's a little boy who's scared.