I call BS on Safe Spaces
somewhere along the way
the meaning got hijacked
safe became soft
a haven for isolation
castles instead of refuges
sanctuaries of sterility
infertile walls
fires switched for thermostats
war cries for teleprompters.
somewhere along the way
risk got cancelled
hiding fragile souls
holding became held hostage
veneers of pleasantries
covering coercion
masking manipulation
with an IG smile and a T-shirt
somewhere along the way
safe turned into stasis
honesty into virtue signalling
trying hard to try hard
grasping for perfection
boundaries so high
no one climbs out or in
somewhere along the way
safe cocooned in cotton wool
avoiding the sting of reality
wrapped in velvet silence
ideology choking throats
keeping us small
and hidden
and fearful
and lonely
somewhere along the way
safety called delusion, wisdom
subjectivity replaced truth-telling
branding disagreement as gaslighting
souls selling short
to the one who agrees
or pays
or likes
Safe spaces are
Messy. Unfinished. Imperfect.
Risky. Courageous. Vulnerable.
Uprooting discomfort
in all the right ways.
we say,
“Here’s my truth!”
committing to the collision,
not eloquence
full presence
showing up
wholeheartedness on display
the tea spills
with no hurry to mop it up
with humility
in grace
fig leaves fall
fully naked
raw, exposed, arriving
facing the lie
soaking in vulnerability
leaning into pain
allowing it
to renew
false images come to die,
for something real
something whole
something honest
ownership
of choices and stories
of our unhealed places
not losing balance on eggshells
mercy and truth meet
right relatedness and peace kiss
arenas of challenge
conflict breathes freely
wounds are named
we say
Kei konei au
Ko pono tōku tūrangawaewae
Ko tēnei tōku ngākau katoa
Te pai, te kino, te anuanu
Kei tū tonu au
Truth-tellers, reconcilers, peacemakers, poets and prophets,
agitators, upsetters, outsiders, rebels and the scandalous,
Be raw, real, and ready,
to uproot the lies we’ve called home for too long
to proclaim the stories that unsettle us,
to soak in the truths that heal us,
to prefer courage over comfort,
to sell out to truly being known
to be unashamed, free in the muck
to drink deeply
and be wild.
I call BS on safe spaces
Bold Sincerity
What were you thinking?
