Shadow Of My Past Self

I stare back at the shadow of myself on the wall;

I see into the soul, the soul of that young lady

I used to be.

Vulnerable,

Shattered,

Broken,

Bruised,

Blank.

I stare at her for a few moments,

I ask her,

"Was I really that worthless?"

I hear echoes of my tears,

begging them;

"Please don't hurt me."

My head;

split between who I was then,

And who I am now.

I stare more closely at my shadow,

A window opens into her soul;

She was,

Pained,

Alone,

Worthless,

Unloved.

She lost her identity,

And her sense of self,

Her stability was lost,

Lost to the torment of abuse from her past,

And she never forgets what they did to her.

As the shadow fades,

Her reflection becomes clearer;

She sees,

Beauty,

Strength,

Love,

Freedom,

Her recovered identity,

A heart full of joy and passion.

All those fragmented parts of her shadow,

Come together to make her who she is today.

She smiles;

She might remember,

But she also knows who she is today.

She is love,

And she shines love wherever she goes;

She is Carol.