Feeling Feelings

She dips her toe in
And declares it's too cold.
She sips her tea
And says it's still too hot.
She won't go out, she doesn't have a jacket
And shoes to match the outfit that she's got.

She will not swim
For fear her thighs are showing.
She doesn't dance,
She hasn't got a beau.
She hasn't been fine dining in a long time;
She's too afraid to go out on her own.

When sadness comes
She drowns it out with dry red.
Lonliness,
She turns the T.V. up.
Anger has her getting out the vacuum
And cloths and sprays to clean the whole house up.

She isn't used to 
Feeling all her feelings.
The tough ones she ignores
With her brave face.
She hopes to God the good ones will come back soon,
'Cause this plastered smile is starting to erase.

Well, I use to be
The girl who dipped her toe in. 
I used to be
The girl who just missed out.
Got tired of watching life pass from the sidelines.
Stopped caring what observers thought about.

So, I'm swimming in
Cold water and I'm dancing.
I burn my tongue on
Too-hot cups of tea.
I gave up cleaning house and watching T.V.
If I'm feeling sad, that's what you'll see in me.

And I'm feeling feelings
Be they good or bad ones.
I'm feeling feelings.
They don't scare me now.
I give permission to be less than perfect,
And that leads to perfect happiness, somehow.