Stories

Underneath my ink are stories, of places my mind has been, Of battles I have faced alone, in a world that is unseen. Unseen not because it’s rare, or invisible to the eye, But unseen because the reality of it, makes people think you want to die.

Far too many people, have learned to fear their pain,
To fear their minds emotions, and not see what’s there to gain.
So we learn to shut them off; block them out; deny they’re there,
And instead we turn to numbing actions, or pretend we just don’t care.

But you do. And you should.
And it’s okay to feel any way you do,
Because for every single thought you’ve had, Someone else has thought that too.

Your pain is not a weakness; the way you’ve coped not a crime,
And those that judge you for the way you survive, are not worth your precious time. The precious time you have, can be much better spent, Surrounding yourself with those, to whom you can freely vent.

Freely air your deepest thoughts, speak the truth that’s in your mind,
For none of those thoughts make you wrong, nor actions make you unkind.
Some are incorrect though, like the thought that you’re alone,
Or that your pain is not yet bad enough, to call for help upon that phone.

There is no magic threshold, no comparison to be made,
That can make your struggles any lesser, or unworthy of caring aid.

So yes, behind my ink are scars, that each tell a story of my pain,
Of struggles I was afraid to voice, due to deep feelings of shame.
But that doesn’t make me weak, or different, or insane, It’s just the only way I knew back then, to deal with all the strain.

I have learned more ways now, and I trust that you will too,
As you journey through this world, trying to find a place for you.
To navigate there isn’t easy, in the chaos of this life,
So please know no matter how it looks, when you find yourself in strife;

The choices that you make then don’t determine who you are,
And their effect need not be forever;
even when they leave a scar.

~ Simone Brick, November 2019 ~

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Still We Rise