Time to open this box

This is a phrase my friend Beth used this evening is referring to dealing with all the strong emotions that have been coming up for me lately. She said "Well, it seems to be time to unpack that box of emotions." I love this metaphor and clearly hear a poem in it


Unpacking the box

What was it I packed away?
Anger
Fear
Some hope and faith
Why did I pack it way?
To find again later?
To tuck it away for safe keeping?
To hide it because I just couldn't deal with it?
To keep from falling completely apart?
To keep from spinning out of control?
To get through cancer
I tucked these things away
Because I thought I had to be only positive
I had to find a creative way through this
I couldn't let the negative in
Sometimes I couldn't even let the hope and faith in
It was all I could do
To simply put one foot in front of the other
To simple take it one step at a time
And leave the hope and faith to others
To leave the praying to others
All I could do was do and be
I had to pack it up to get through this
I had to wall it off because I couldn't handle
All that fear and anger at the same time
So I packed it away
behind creativity and tears of terror
Now I have to unpack it
Or it will fester in unhealthy ways
The box started to crack
When a hurt was not healed
Addressed and forgiven
I don't even really know what is in the box
I have some vague idea
but I need to root around in the tissue paper of my emotions
Examine the gift of my thoughts and ideas
Untie the knots in the ribbon
That kept the box closed.....