Sonder: Youth Mental Health Stories of Struggle & Strength | Page 81

her world implodes
screams and sobs erupt, shattering the silence, the safest place to stay
debris and dust fill the room as her mother holds her tightly, afraid she will collapse
if she stands
her tears burn with anger and acidity, scorching the ground as she breaks away
slips through and lunges for the banister
little brother lurches forward, pulls her away just in time
aching with agony, anguish, anger
he feels there is no escape, no way to fix her broken mind
she spends nights in stiff hospital beds
nurses and heart monitors stare at her with wary eyes as she sleeps
forced to fight her way from the bottom of the abyss
she strives to rid herself of the monster, bite by bite, step by step, day by day
struggling and stumbling and sometimes slipping,
but never stopping, rising with resilience when she falls
never losing sight of what lies beyond bleak white hallways and brown brick walls
she is the girl I used to be.
now she is only a shadow, a faint memory
of a time where I was enslaved by a sickness
that tore my life apart and ripped my soul at the seams
though the scars have faded and the wounds have healed
she will always be part of me
now I seek her strength, her stamina, her stubborn nature
the powers that once made my illness soar
to fight for those who are lost, afraid, alone
who seek help but find only silence and stigma
to help heal broken wings
of beautiful minds, of beautiful people who struggle with mental illness
so that they too can climb above the clouds
and look down with joy upon their lives
life a little girl thought she would never know ●
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