i took the stairs

I am flawed
Which is something I’ve known since
The day I was born


Yes,
I am flawed, but
That is not a bad thing because my imperfections
Make me strong
Stronger than I would’ve ever known to be possible


It is not often that your own flaws end with
Blood seeping through the cracks in the
Pure white tile floor
But it is important to note that
The blood will wash away


Reckless

Fifteen


Fifteen shiny and blue stitches
Running along the edge of my chin

Blood seeping through the cracks in the
Pure white tile floor
“There was so much blood to clean up,” my mother cried
But it is important to note that
Not a single drop of blood
Stained my white t-shirt that Christmas Eve morning


Not a single drop of blood
Not a single tear shed
Because my flaws have made me
Strong


Stronger


I didn’t wake up like this
I didn’t ask for this
I didn’t have a choice


My mother, my father
Day shift, night shift
Always working, leaving my sister and I


Alone


When you’re eight and
Still playing on the playground
Playing on that rusty, old swing set
And your parents tell you that it’s time for you to
Grow up
You don’t really have a choice


So I did just that
I grew up


And growing up comes with a sense of

Freedom


Growing up comes with a sense of


Loneliness


When you’re standing there
Drowning
In the scorching hot shower crying
Because the open wounds in your heart never did quite heal
Unlike your chin with its
Fifteen shiny and blue stitches


If only it were that easy


Fifteen stitches to the heart
You’ll be fine in no time
Give it a week
Then we can take them out


No problem


You’ll have stars in your eyes again before you even know it


Because the open wounds in your heart never did quite heal
Unlike your chin with its
Fifteen shiny and blue stitches
 

But that’s okay


Because I never really was able to


Wear my heart on my sleeve,
No one knew the pain I held inside
 

No problem
 

Because I can hold my head up high
Now that the tears have dried
 

The tears always dry
They always do
 

Because I am stronger than I’ve ever been before
Because I know how it feels to hit
Rock bottom
And to not be able to get back up


(But I did get back up
Yes, I stood up with my own two feet)


Because I know how it feels to have
Blood
Dripping from my face
Staining the pure white tile floor


With my own foolishness


And that’s okay because
I’m not flawless
I never was
And that’s perfectly okay


Because I never gave up
I never once thought about giving up


Shit, I’ve gone all the way to hell and back,
And I didn’t take no fuckin’ elevator
I took the stairs


And I have a fuckin’ flawless scar to prove it

 

 

 

 



 

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