E: I can feel my heart break and not cry. I can watch someone laugh and only smile. I can think and never let anyone know. I understand things. I think them through. Am I wrong? Am I repressed? Am I missing something beautiful? Am I blind?
M: You've always played it safe. Look up! Stop staring at the ground, afraid of making a misstep. Smile! Don't be afraid that someone won't understand. Love! Stop fearing the possibilities. Can't you say something? Can't you let us know you feel? Sometimes I wonder if you ever feel anything. You show a smile but I can't see anything behind it! Have you ever loved? Have you ever hated? Are you capable of heartbreak and heartjoy?
E: I am capable! I feel every time the wind touches me, I hold a friend close, I paint a flower. I could sing, I could dance in the rain...but then who would be sensible? Someone has to balance, someone has to stop mistakes before they're made. I whisper to myself when I walk alone. No one hears me then.
M: Why?
E: Because if I tell, then it won't be a secret. If everyone knows--my heart won't be special, won't be mine anymore. Things happen when you tell people; the magic goes away. I can't share my heart with everyone, I can't let them know how much I feel! I must be circumspect, must be cautious.
M: You can't keep it a secret. Do you know what happens to secrets when they're kept too long? They crumble into dust and ashes and burnt memories and suddenly the world doesn't look as bright anymore and your heart is brittle as glass.
E: But who will be sensible? If I make mistakes....
M: The world won't end.
E: Life isn't easy in an empire waist.
Photo cropped from ELIZABETH EN PEMBERLEY, a photo by /colorinchi on Flickr.
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