I pull myself up by my bootstraps
and march
boldly
naked
down the sidewalk

my stance
determined
my mind 
unsure

marching

courage by my side
fear at my heels
waiting for me to stumble

I hold my head high, but
don’t stretch my neck out
too far
always wondering
what the onlookers
must
be
thinking

as they watch me acquiesce
to
my
Self

struggling still
with their own
affectations

my nudity shocks their senses
burns
their
eyes
and fills their hearts with
longing

their own
internal
eternal

desire
and i keep marching
my stance
determined
my mind 
unsure
naked
down the sidewalk

image credit: https://meditationinsarasota.org/events/love-healing-and-forgiveness/