Naked

​Do clothes make us who we are?
Are clothes important to our image?
Or do they give us something to hide behind?
 
But why do we hide?
Why do we hide behind how we dress?
Is it really so hard for us to love ourselves for who we are?
 
Naked, we are stripped to our essence.
Our true selves.
Nothing to hide.
 
Naked, we aren’t dressed for success.
No faking it until we make it.
We are just who we are.
 
Naked, we present no pretty package
Neatly pressed or cozily wrinkled.
No colors that match our eyes.
 
Naked, we can’t hide.
It takes courage to show ourselves as who we are.
Being naked in public is the stuff of nightmares.
 
Clothed we can hide
Behind a beautiful sweater
Or a favorite pair of jeans.
 
But what are we hiding?
And why do we hide?
Are we hiding from ourselves?
 
Is it really so hard for us love ourselves for who we are?