laid bare

you could strip me down
layer by layer
until nothing was left
to hide behind.
but what would be left
to find?
it’s not as if my words
never mattered
or anything remained
unsaid. it’s not as if i never
laid my cards (whatever
they happened to be)
one by one on a table
of your choosing.
this isn’t about “winning”
or “losing.”
and what was played
was never just a game
(no matter how it may
have appeared).
so where do we go
from here
once all our diversions
are finally laid bare?