Rise Up

©2016 Susan Noyes Anderson

image by Kyle Broad on Unsplash

“You’re the worst decision I ever made,”
he said. It nearly knocked her dead.
She’d given him her heart so long ago.
She didn’t know how much that gift would cost:
she lost herself. She wasn’t faultless…

But she was not less.

She only felt less––less than all that
she had been. She’d conjure up that girl again
and win. Though stung by words that left
his lips, the vicious slams, sarcastic quips,
she’d cut him no slack––battle her way back.

And fight to stay back.

∞§∞

“The scars from mental cruelty can be as deep and long-lasting as wounds from punches or slaps but are often not as obvious. In fact, even among women who have experienced violence from a partner, half or more report that the man’s emotional abuse is what is causing them the greatest harm.” – Lundy Bancroft

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