They Said: A Poem About Growing Up With Health Issues

They said “Warrior,” “Survivor,” “You can go longer.”
“Don’t give up, you’ll be stronger.”
But all they said, she couldn’t hear.
Because she was in pain and living in fear.
She couldn’t hear and they couldn’t see.
Her fear was just staying alive.
They said, “Don’t lose hope, you’ll be alright.”
“But words weren’t enough to free her mind.
In the mirror, she hated herself.
They couldn’t see the pain she felt.

Once upon a time there was a little girl,
But he broke her heart and crushed her world.
Her childhood was stolen at night,
The things he did were never alright,
She was a grown-up little girl.

And they said “Warrior,” “Survivor,” “You can go longer”
“Don’t give up, you’ll be stronger.”
But all they said, she couldn’t hear.
Because she was in pain and living in fear.
She couldn’t hear and they couldn’t see.
Her fear was just staying alive,
They said, “Don’t lose hope, you’ll be alright.”
“But words weren’t enough to free her mind.
In the mirror, she hated herself.
They couldn’t see the pain she felt.

A few years later, her friends were skipping school,
But true friends she never had.
They called her names and said she was fat.
She was living in fear and hated herself.

But they said, “Warrior,” “Survivor,” “You can go longer.”
“Don’t give up, you’ll be stronger.”
But all they said, she couldn’t hear,
Because she was in pain and living in fear.
She couldn’t hear and they couldn’t see.
Her fear was just staying alive.
They said, “Don’t lose hope, you’ll be alright.”
But words weren’t enough to free her mind.
In the mirror, she hated herself.
They couldn’t see the pain she felt.

The doctors said they’d found something,
And she had to go to a hospital monthly.
Her old friends ran away.
Isolated was her middle name.
She was filled with pain, alone and afraid.

As they said “Warrior,” “Survivor,” “You can go longer.”
“Don’t give up, you’ll be stronger.”
But all they said, she couldn’t hear.
Because she was in pain and living in fear.
She couldn’t hear and they couldn’t see.
Her fear was just staying alive.
They said, “Don’t lose hope, you’ll be alright.”
“But words weren’t enough to free her mind.
In the mirror, she hated herself.
They couldn’t see the pain she felt.

Depression overtook her mind,
As even breathing became a fight.
She was under so much stress, she couldn’t take it all.
So her grades in school began to fall.
All the pain stole her hope.

Even as they said “Warrior,” “Survivor,” “You can go longer.”
“Don’t give up, you’ll be stronger.”
But all they said, she couldn’t hear,
Because she was in pain and living in fear.
She couldn’t hear and they couldn’t see.
Her fear was just staying alive.
They said, “Don’t lose hope, you’ll be alright.”
But words weren’t enough to free her mind.
In the mirror, she hated herself.
They couldn’t see the pain she felt.

She became an adult overnight,
And everything had to be just right.
Did it set her free or add more weight?
There was only so much she could take.
Hurting and lonely, painfully adulting.

But still they said, “Warrior,” “Survivor,” “You can go longer.”
“Don’t give up, you’ll be stronger.”
But all they said, she couldn’t hear.
Because she was in pain and living in fear.
She couldn’t hear and they couldn’t see.
Her fear was just staying alive.
They said, “Don’t lose hope, you’ll be alright”
“But words weren’t enough to free her mind.
In the mirror, she hated herself.
They couldn’t see the pain she felt.

What happened to that little girl?
Could she get back what he stole?
Why was her life so unfair?
Behind the pain, was she even there?
Would she make it through this painful life and somehow manage to win the fight?

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Thinkstock photo via SkyWayx