ReForged
My soul was forged in the nightmares I survived,
Every dignity stripped away became a scar,
Each word spoken like a hammer
Against the fabric of my spirit.
I bent,
I warped,
I cracked under each blow
But I did not break.
Masquerading as a protector,
The barbarian invaded my sacred space
He stole my innocence.
Yet still I survived
Fear filled my mind with tentacles, ugly and writhing
The fire raged
Be a good girl, do what you are told,
You like it, they said
Words fled and darkness descended
Terror closed in, choking the life from me
My screams go unheard in the void
Not believed, tossed aside like garbage.
Death lurks, masquerading as a welcome savior
Even in sleep there is no peace
But wait
A spark flickers in the distance
Hope flares in a song
A kind word
The velvet petal of a rose.
Color replaces the darkness
The fire blazes anew
Fear blows its icy breath
But now the hammer is in my hand
I lean into the pain,
Into the bleak cavern of despair I leap
Strike at the memories, break the shackles
I bare my soul.
Battling for every shard, I rise,
Wounded but breathing.
The monster rampages through my defenses
The fetid blast of memories ravage against me
Still I stand and battle forward.
In desperation I scream out
A reply whispers, then swells to a shout
Me too
I am not alone
Courage floods my heart for a moment
The nightmare begins to shrink and fade
The hammer swings, sparks fly
My soul rises from the ashes
Reclaiming, re-forging, restoring
I cannot - I will not surrender
I will conquer,
I will live,
I will thrive.
Written by me (2019)