White Gloves

blood still stains when the sheets are washed

and no matter how hard you scrub you can’t wash off

the sins of the past and the darkness left

those age old scars are part of you yet

so instead you don pristine white gloves

and greet the world with a smiling face

eagerly accepting invites of friendship

then spending most the time saving face

you’re worried if those gloves are lost

then you’ll be replaced

by someone with less blood stains on their hands and face

someone who never had to try to scrub as hard

someone without your ugly old scars

but what you refuse to see

is those stains fading over time

as you scrub your effort shows

because you’re without a speck of grime

you work hard on yourself each and every day

and avoid touching the same stains again

you’re growing into a new person in every way

and deep down you’ll learn it’s okay because we all sin

it’s okay to leave the gloves behind

• E. Lexi Abbott