They've traumatized my skin with their envious ways 

I used to glitter a nice fair color, proud to be light and brave to show my body type

But that was before. 

That was before they picked at my curves and sliced their razor sharp tongues on my appearance

That was before I felt the pain of bruising words

I never knew their voices were deadly, noosing my pride strangling my courage into nothing

They sliced at my happiness, thinner and thinner, eating away at the smile I used to wear constantly

They left blue and purple marks all over this muscle I considered a heart

Their evil ways were acid eating at this tissue I celled up behind my ribs 

I felt their words stabbing and probing about into my soul, dissolving my pride, eating my joy, and tearing up my self-esteem

Their voices barked and punched at me leaving me breathless and weak

I felt the pain of every syllable as they discolored me

They ate up my skin painting it with sad colors draining me of my life 

Every vowel was sharp as they hissed it venomously in my ear

The consonants they spat at me were acidic and aching

They broke me, left me withered and alone, my skin wasn’t fair but battered and beaten

I never knew how painful the words were

The words they let slip through their teeth beat me, bruise me, and defeated me

Those words that they stung me and hit me, they broke my spirits and for a while they beat me

Those words were bruising and almost deadly, I felt ever letter slowly slicing their way into me

Those words were hurtful and wired with thorns

I almost lost and was close to quit against those words

Their voices boomed and kept me on my knees, but my will and my hope was too proud to lose

Their words were bruising and painful to the sound screeching and forcing me to be put down

But I stood up against the pain, I let them see me rise from their already dug up grave

I may have been poked about and probed about, may have had them breathe criticisms down my neck

But I still stood proud with those battle wounds

Their words were defying and almost believable, so deadly to the touch

But I’m still here, still tall and ready to take on every punch, because those bruising words I once heard, have once feared and flinched to the touch

But here I stand with my words boast up, ready to defend and throw back my punch