Authenticity unpacked (a poem)

When labels, packaging and accessories are stripped

What is left

Truly

That is You.

When the frills, the figs, the branches and leaves are stripped

What is left

That

Is You.

No wallpaper, no paint, no glue

But courageous and true

Honest, open, unashamed

Even vulnerable

That

Is the real you.

Stand tall. Be you, Be true.

Naive? No!

Pre-planned, pre-known, crafted

By Master Gardner planted

Walled, Called

Meant to be

Yes, Intended

Authentic. Free and True.

You.

Divinely and Eternally Created.

But, truly

Who am You?

Who do you say you are?

I know of nothing more valuable, when it comes to the all-important virtue of authenticity, than simply being who you are - Charles R. Swindoll

That inner voice has both gentleness and clarity. So to get to authenticity, you really keep going down to the bone, to the honesty, and the inevitability of something. - Meredith Monk

...Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! - Psalm 139:14-16

by

elizabeth o. david