Almost safe inside my sanctuary -

it's not that I'm afraid of solitude.

Yes, there is loneliness, but why delude

myself?  In my heart, I must stay wary.

People will hurt you once your guard is down.

Hurt upon hurt - it gets hard to repair.

Still, I find that, in the end, I do care.

With no lifebelt, I fear that I might drown.

I just don't know the answers anymore -

as if I ever did.  Does…

Hope sometimes comes to us

in pastel shades.

It isn't always

either

black or white,

or even grey.

I feel that hope,

when needed most,

will often be

revealed in

pastel shades.