Pat Conover - Sharing the Journey

Time To Stand Up
Trees by Autan

It's time to stand up.
That is challenge enough.

It's time to stand up right out in the middle,
where I've been hiding,
where I've been strategic,
where I've managed my coming out,
...one veil at a time.

It's time to ask you to look when you would rather look away,
when you would rather explain me than see me,
to look across the chasm of shame
because our collusion is no longer graceful, tactful.

It's a time to be ok,
whether you can give me that,
or not;
a time to risk your reactions,
a time to have a suitcase packed in the back room,
with a whisk broom for my dusty shoes.

I can stand up appearing garish,
unfinished,
but no longer invisible;
with too many blind spots to keep covered,
too many things I haven't thought of.

It's time to take back my power from my second grade teacher
who said little boys should not spend so much time drawing pictures,
because art matters,
even for beginners.

Pat Conover
revised: October, 2006

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