All of us want to be seen,
and all of us want to be known,
and each of us senses
the worth of our being,
the light that is wholly our own

And none of us want to be judged,
and none of us want to be told
of changes we need to make,
habits we need to break
if we would enter the fold

All of us want to be free,
and want our connections, too –
we want to belong
in a place where we’re honored,
and honor our friends through and through.

©Wendy Mulhern
February 18, 2023