I see you

When you think you’re invisible

When you’ve been ignored one time too many

When you reach for that blade

To take away the pain

To make it all fade

To just forget

And as you watch the familiar crimson

Stream across your tender skin

So gentle

And you pray no one will notice

I see you

 

I hear you

Your silent screams

Shushed by the world

As they called you every name in the book

Bitch

Slut

Lesbian

And the more you cried out

The worse it got

And nobody heard

Or else nobody even cared

 

But you have to let it all go now

Because they were wrong

It was never true

They didn’t know you

They’ll never know what it’s like to be you

 

Yet here you are today

Still wondering why everyone chose not to hear

Still struggling to process their words

Every single day

And they’ll never know the way they hurt you

They’ll never hear your cries

Not through your protests of

“I’m okay”

“The cat got my arm”

“Really, I’m good”

But we both know you’re not

I can hear the cracks spreading through your entire being

Every time you speak those lies

I hear what you really mean

“I’m falling apart”

“Help me”

Yes, I hear you

 

And I understand

The way it hurts

The shame

And the relief as that sharp sting penetrates

All those lies

And all that pain

If only for a moment

I know the deceit

To the ones you love most

The ones who could help

You know you can’t do it alone

And you know it’s only a matter of time

Before your walls come crashing down

But you’re stuck

Too far gone it seems

I know the way you hate yourself

Unable to stand a look in the mirror

Thinking you’ll never be good enough

Yes, I understand

 

Because you’re not invisible

Not silent

Not alone

And you don’t have to do this anymore