Beauty Within

How can I look at myself when all I can see are the scars along my skin?
These scars have made me afraid of myself
They cover my heart and my head and I cannot see past them
How would I ever be able to see myself when all I see is pain?
Your hands on my skin taking a piece of myself with you after every touch
I wish I could erase the moment of paralysis that plagued my body
Again and again, I lose control
I do everything in my power to gain it back
Pictures, touching, whatever it takes
Until I can take no more
I shut down and pull away
I can no longer love the people around me because I despise myself
How can I accept love when I believe I deserve mistreatment?
Feeling like a burden to the ones I love the most
I decide I have to be the author of my story
I have to pick myself up because no one else can
I am told that I did not deserve the pain and suffering I endured
How can I believe that when society shouts that I must have deserved it?
I search the beliefs of society and find that they are powerless without my power
I take it back
I take back the power you stole from me
I see myself clearly
I forgive myself for ignoring my pain
I give myself all of the love and healing I deserve
You may have broken me down,
But I built myself back up 100x stronger
I finally found the beauty in the midst of trauma