For so long
striving to be an integrated person
with no secrets or unturned stones
moving away from furtive, parallel lives and
undercover relationships and dual identities
the fragmentation of personality
became unacceptable
not to mention burdensome to maintain
and to remember
all the selves, the lies, the whatever.
But now
some separation seems to be
appropriate and necessary
not everything that comes into the mind
needs to come out of the mouth
or even the pen
but where should it all go?
the filtered items need outlets
but not the destructive, covert types that
tear the self apart.
Visualizing a beautiful room
with decorative boxes, with loose fitting lids
carefully nestled on endless, sturdy, open shelving
no locks or nails or walling up
a breezy, airy, bright room, full of scents and sights
gauzy curtains, pastel colors, musical memories
storage for the random. the fanciful, the dreamy
and a few not-so-positive things that also still
need a place to hang out
the door is not barred to the owner
few others will know the room is there
let alone be invited in
yet it needs to exist, a newer sort of safe space
for the unrevealed, protected self
that will be intact, insulated, cherished