I come from.....

From a hate so great,

it could invoke the next genocide.

From black eyes, broken bones, and “Oh, I ran into the door.”

A place where my only safe haven was a cramped, cold, lifeless closet.

Where I trusted the cat more than my parents.

A place so dark- no life or light could survive.

From a facade of happiness.

A sadness so deep it could drown an entire country.

A self-esteem as fragile as crystal.

Long sleeves in 120 degree weather because I could no longer blame it on the cat.

A road to self-discovery that made me feel like Christopher Columbus.

From letting my poetry speak what my mouth can’t.

Words spilling from my heart to create a whole new world.

From being lost and self-destructive to finding a family and sense of self-worth.

From being beaten and used to loved and appreciated.

While many come from white-fenced houses and happy families,

I come from hatred and sadness.

Yes, that is where I come from, but it is not who I am.