To me, poetry used to be nothing but words

Delicate words strung together,

Line after line, squished into stanzas.

It wasn't until 8th grade 

That I learned otherwise.

Poetry is powerful;

Poetry is release. 

A way to escape the shouts and torments

coming from beyond the walls.

Poetry helped me to build a fortess of protection,

from the slang terminology and the grunts.

God knows what was going through your mind,

but I knew what went through mine.

Those days were dark and made me shudder,

I was scared for your life - not my own.

What was I to do?

I was thirteen or so, and there wasn't much.

So instead of interfering, I cried.

I cried for hours and spilled my thoughts into the keyboard late at night.

Letting my fears exit through my fingertips 

as I painted wordpad so thickly with them. 

Most nights I never slept then,

those dark circles you saw weren't because of late night television, (no)

Those dark circles were there to show myself the effects of your cause.

I never blamed you then, though the poems I wrote spoke otherwise.

I was too blinded, too naiive. 

Now that I know I never truly blamed you -

I can honestly say I was merely disappointed in you. 

But I didn't let you anchor me down then, and I won't let you anchor me now.

The words I've farmed over the years are strong enough to keep me afloat,

and you know what?

I'm no longer afraid.