She Lives
By Debra Ayis
She’d forgotten how to smile
She looked into the mirror
Urging her muscles to remember the pattern
Her fingers edged her cheeks upward
Tracing the outline of what she sought.
She clawed into the depths of her soul
Into the darkness that plagued her
She searched for a marble
A sparkle of joy and light
They had put her down,
Stripped her of her purity
Chartered her like an object
Sold her to the highest bidder
Her identity lost in more ways than one.
She’d survived, she’d escaped.
She rebuilt,
A new identity, a brave voice
Fighting for the voiceless
Protecting the innocent
Past the hate, anger, and nightmares
Building on precious lost years
Healing from within
Telling the world her story
Learning about love and happiness
Walking out in freedom
Embracing life as the sun rises at dawn
Like a dead seed sprouting to life,
She is gradually moving past her horror
Learning to find her smile again
