A Decade in Shadow

For ten long years, I dwelled in the night,

A prisoner bound by silence and fright.

The whispers of anguish, unseen by the world,

Wrapped tight around me, their tendrils unfurled.

Each wound unseen, each scar a secret,

A battle fought where no one could meet it.

The dark became home, though it stifled my breath,

A sanctuary of pain, a chamber of death.

But deep in the depths, a flicker remained,

A voice that murmured, "You’re not truly chained."

It called me forward, though fear held me still,

To step toward a light that defied my will.

I stumbled out, trembling, into the glow,

The sun’s embrace felt foreign, though slow.

But with its warmth came a tempest near,

A storm of wrath, of guilt, and of fear.

The voices rose loud, fierce with intent,

"Return to the shadows, where your strength was spent.

The light will burn, the truth will rend,

And all you have built will come to its end."

But I stood tall, though the winds did howl,

And faced the storm with a steady growl.

"I will not retreat to the suffocating black,

For my story is mine, and I’ll take it back."

Each blow from the storm tore at my soul,

But revealed within me a deeper whole.

The abuse, the lies, no longer concealed,

In the light of truth, they would be revealed.

For the darkness thrived on secrets and shame,

But the light exposed its cowardly game.

My pain became power, my scars turned to art,

A tapestry woven of a resilient heart.

No longer afraid, I pressed on through,

With each step forward, the storm withdrew.

The light did not burn; it healed and restored,

Unveiling a strength I’d long ignored.

And now I stand, though battered and worn,

A survivor reborn in the eye of the storm.

The shadows may linger, but they hold no sway,

For I’ve chosen the light, and I’ll not turn away.