Courage

I stood there on the ice
Waiting for someone to come along.
I watched the blood trickle down my fingers,
Hitting the white ice.
I had been beaten by the ones whom I loved.
Why did they do this to me?
Why didn’t they stop?
Did they want me to die?
I cried for help.
I screamed in pain and terror.
The next thing I knew I was floating in a cold, wet abyss.
The ice had finally cracked.
I watched the blood float all around me.
I started to lose the light of the moon.
Darkness.
I lost sight of everything.
There was only the black of the night.
Minutes passed.
I had lost all hope of seeing the light again.
…
I waited for death to come end my misery.
But then I saw it.
The dim light beyond the abyss.
It got bigger, brighter
Next thing I knew, I was back on the surface
I looked around me and noticed that I was nowhere near home
This new place was what I dreamed of.
A place where no one can hurt me
A place called Sanctuary.
“I’m free. I’m finally free. Now is the time to start a new life, not as a scared little girl, but as a leader.”
Courage brought me to this place.
Courage will keep me alive.
Courage will keep me safe.
One cannot be courageous without the pain and agony of the world.

Serena Martin
January 17, 2018