I started to peel off the final layer, hands shaking, what would I find
Would I be disappointed yet again, would I finally have to admit to total failure
Thoughts in my mind, telling me I would find only misery, nothing unique
I would not be able to face the truth, I would be finally weighed down too much
I have worked hard to find the real me again, find what was buried under layers
Too many years of being told I was nothing, quashed me under mounds of layers
Each one I had taken off had stung, each time I felt more awake
As the final layer drops to the floor, I let the sting pass
I look within, I find a woman who is determined, caring, loving & kind
I know this woman, this woman I let come forth
I will not bury any of myself again.