Saving Myself

Shred my belief,
fiber by fiber,
in everything that was.
Remove it
like the sheep
sheared in spring;
pink under the dirty folds
and ready for new growth.

Cut me close so that I might start fresh
with nothing but the essentials
nearest my heart;
just in time for birth
and wrinkles of time
to stare into the others' eyes.

I am a shard of myself already.

Lost so long ago
in the shadows
that seemed to hold
the truth and so much joy;
distant laughter
that I could never find.

I foolishly shared my spirit self
only to be robbed and left
alone at the side of the path.

But today,
in the shell
of all that I might be,
I smile
and know
that only I
can save myself.

I am my own shepherd
keeping watch at the crest
of the hill.