I believe you. Though, I admit, I'm afraid to.
Believing is surrendering. Believing leaves you unguarded,
vulnerable to injury. Believing leaves scars.
Believing, also, disregards existing scars.

Scars can be more painful
than the wounds they once were.

Revealing scars requires trust.
Trust requires belief.
Belief is what created them to begin with.

Standing before the mirror,
I examine my scars.
Each one's length, it's depth, how old it is.
It's origin.

A few are still fresh. Some were re-opened,
only to close again.
Once more, becoming a scar. Many have
considerably faded. Almost undetectable.
Invisible.

I notice how much of me appears to be
scar-free. It's puzzling.
I've been hurt much more
than my reflection reveals.

I begin to realize that many of my wounds
were superficial, not significant enough
to become a scar.

They simply healed and vanished, as if they never existed.
Never bled. Never stung.
Never ached.

I can't recall how many wounds there have been.

Seems there should be more scars.
More proof.
More reminders.

Without them ~
I believe you..........