The speaker begins by admitting they have become skilled at hiding, which the title "Adept" points to with a little irony. They hid from what frightened them and from what was frightened of them, and kept their true self locked away because they feared how the world would react.
Then the poem turns. Truth is pictured as a flower that can take root in the darkest places and wait patiently until someone's attention, "the gleam of someone's eye," lets it bloom. The mood shifts from fear and secrecy to quiet hope.
The ending is firm. The speaker says their truth can't be smothered without their consent, then withdraws that consent. The last lines break apart across the page, so each word lands slowly and "Consent" stands alone, isolated and final. The feeling is of someone finally stepping out of hiding and claiming their own power.