She needed to be gutted like a pumpkin-
Hollowed
Every thought and feeling scooped away
Each clinging piece of her gouged
see what remains when all the built-up **** is gone.

Would she be purified?
Bright and clean
A flame glowing inside

Or would she find only emptiness?
A hollow shell without the weight of lies
With nothing left to fill the void.

Would she still shine as bright without the dark?
The same darkness passed down generations.
It may come in different forms,
but darkness always remains.

What is she without the masks she wears?
Without the seeds of doubt
Planted deep
the tangled vines of fear that wrap around her soul?

She needs to be carved open
see what shape she can make of herself
find if there’s still light within her
Or just a flicker
Dim and fading.

Perhaps
Like a pumpkin
She can be hollowed
Shaped to shine anew
Even with her insides scraped away

She looks into the mirror
Carves out a smile
And hopes her light doesn’t go out.