Unfurl

The bud, bound up like a gift, waits
for the soft kiss of sun to unfold.

The fiddlehead, curled up in a spiral nest,
takes time to unfurl from its slumber.

The snake slithers out of its old skin and into the new,
and the slow snail grows its shell like the rings of a tree.

The dragonfly emerges from a watery home
and the caterpillar dies to be born again with wings.

Who am I inside this skin?
When will I trust enough
to lay down this shell, this shield,
to surrender and shed,
unfold, unfurl,
into something raw and true?

I creep like the caterpillar,
consuming this world as
I was taught to do,
yet I feel my true ember burning inside.
I weave a cocoon of darkness and dream of taking flight,
listening for my heart truth to sing louder
than my wounds -
Now, no fear.
Listen, the answers are already here.
I step into the light, and ride
a current of grace,
this is my time
to unfurl.

(Photo by Karen Davey on Unsplash)