Voices

You silenced me
... With a look that said that
I would never have a voice.
I believed you were right.

I was mute
... When you hurt me
... When you proclaimed your
strong faith to everyone
I knew
So there was no hope for them
To ever believe me.

I stayed silent
... As I learned how to hurt myself
... As I worked hard to wear
a mask that said
I'm okay
Even as I longed to scream
I'm not.

I kept quiet
... Through my world capsizing,
as I fell head first out of the
lifeboat I built
The first time you hurt me
... Through waves submerging me,
as I choked
On the image I had crafted,
My mask
Falling off in the water.

Your words echoing,
As I struggled,
Disoriented by your voice,
Drowning with no hope
To ever tell the truth.
MY story about MY life
And YOUR abuse.
But then...
... I realized

I can swim.

And I surfaced,
Screaming to the heavens
NO!
For every time
... You hurt me
... I hurt myself

For every word not spoken
... In pain
... In fear

It ends now.

My voice will bounce off the waters
And echo until its vibrations
Shake...
... And destroy your carefully
constructed life,

Shake...
... And destroy your carefully
constructed LIE.

I am not afraid.
And you will silence me no more.