—The Fear of White—
I want to paint
the way I truly wish to paint.
She tests me gently.
“Then why not paint
on a white canvas?”
Her eyes sink deep
into the center of my thoughts—
as if asking
if I’m ready.
“Everyone will see you,
every corner of you,
even the parts
you never wanted to show.
Are you sure
you’re okay with that?”
A chill runs through me.
It’s frightening.
No one would really help me,
not when it matters—
even if many swear
they would.
“Look,” she says,
pointing to a canvas nearby.
I follow her finger.
Gray covers it so heavily
I can’t make out
anything at all.
She continues,
“People say we should protect
those who paint on white.
Yet they stay hidden in gray
themselves.”
I stare at the canvas.
Some must have been forced
into white
without ever wanting to be.
In a world like this,
if you don’t match
the colors around you,
you stand out
too painfully.
I need to protect myself—
the words slip out
before I even realize it,
shaking with fear.
Nov 30, 2025
Nov 30, 2025 at 10:07 AM UTC
—The Fear of White—
I want to paint
the way I truly wish to paint.
She tests me gently.
“Then why not paint
on a white canvas?”
Her eyes sink deep
into the center of my thoughts—
as if asking
if I’m ready.
“Everyone will see you,
every corner of you,
even the parts
you never wanted to show.
Are you sure
you’re okay with that?”
A chill runs through me.
It’s frightening.
No one would really help me,
not when it matters—
even if many swear
they would.
“Look,” she says,
pointing to a canvas nearby.
I follow her finger.
Gray covers it so heavily
I can’t make out
anything at all.
She continues,
“People say we should protect
those who paint on white.
Yet they stay hidden in gray
themselves.”
I stare at the canvas.
Some must have been forced
into white
without ever wanting to be.
In a world like this,
if you don’t match
the colors around you,
you stand out
too painfully.
I need to protect myself—
the words slip out
before I even realize it,
shaking with fear.