My Raw Unscripted Life

I see the map you’re holding out to me,
The one drawn in the ink of ancient grace.
I used to see a cage in every line,
But now I see the worry on your face.

I hear the sermon underneath the breath,
The quiet fear that if we don’t agree,
The bridge will break, the light will surely fade,
And you will lose the soul you see in me.

I finally hear the “stay” inside your “pray.”
I see the “love” inside your “must believe.”
You aren’t trying to win a holy war;
You’re trying to build a room where I won’t leave.

It’s sweet, Ray, to be wanted with such depth,
To have a friend who guards the narrow gate.
I understand the framework of your heart,
And how you use your faith to steady fate.

I hear you now. I see the heavy care.
The way you offer work, and time, and text
It’s all a reach to keep the “us” alive,
And save me from whatever follows next.

I’m not a rebel running from the light,
And you are not a jailer with a key.
We’re just two people honoring the truth,
Looking for home across a different sea.

I hear your heart. I honor where you stand.
And in this clearing, I can finally say:
I see the love you’re trying so hard to give,
And I am grateful for it, either way.