Since girlhood, I was told to hide.
Those voices won in laying down blame.
Repeating themselves;
‘Shame. Shame. Shame.”

Silence your anger.
Suppress your voice.
Hide your vulnerability.
Muffle your noise.

Conceal your blood.
Swallow your pain.
And pray
They’ll never be seen again.

Mask your feelings
Behind your expression.
Hide your highs.
Deaden your depression.

Hide your body.
Restrain your heart.
Subdue your feminine.
Never fall apart!

Disguise your desires,
Bury your grief,
Shove them down,
That’s our belief.

All the pieces I hid away,
Began to burst out,
And cause damage
In a new way.

For years now I have shamed
The pieces of me that they named
As unworthy, not enough,
Too loud, untamed.

I stand tall now,
No longer hidden
By all they shamed,
And said was forbidden.

Shame no longer is permitted to live here.
I opened all up and set it all free
To reveal those pieces buried inside
That help to create the whole of me.

By Ruth McDonald – The Earth Weaver
@theearthweaver

You can read more of Ruth’s poetry in her collection The Earthweaver | Sacred Word Weavings – for more info, see her linktree on Instagram @theearthweaver

Photographs by Kate Bean Photography
—

Join us in September 2024 for a series on Unravelling Shame – In this period between Lughnasadh and Samhain as we move from the light towards the darker half of the year, we invite you to join us to shine the light together into the darkness of the shame that we each carry.

We’d love it if you’d join us on this journey to unravel shame.

Contact @saoroexperience , @satnamtherapy or @michaelryan_thewayhome if you’ve questions or you’d like to get involved…