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I credit my steady ( albiet gradual ) success to everything I have learned
at AHA!. In the five years I attended AHA!, I learned an incredible amount
of knowledge that would never have come anywhere else. In addition to
actually having social experiences, I learned about the benefits of
acceptance, brotherhood, empathy, and open communication. In short, I gained
something to believe in. I owe everything to the support I was given at AHA!
This was written by an AHA! participant that benefited from the donation only
therapy program!
I wrote this poem from my heart, and I believe that
the stranger in my poem is who I was when I was
younger. I had so many negative beliefs about myself,
and I truly believe that therapy has helped me
overcome my obstacles with dealing with my traumas. I
haven't learned to FORGET the bad memories, but I have
instead learned how to live WITH them. I now know that
my past doesn't make up who I am, it helps me learn
more about why I am the way that I am. Without my past
and memories, I would not be the person that I am
today. I am happy with who I am, and I think going to
therapy has helped me better understand my life.
POEM
Young girl, I am for you
Your angelic face is washed with fear
Dewy drops cling to the ends of lashes
As a single tear trickles down your cheek
No one knew that when the world turned off its lights
at night,
You sat in the corner crying silently to the moon,
Waiting for someone to rescue you
A face half-hidden in the shadows,
Pleading eyes reveal a sadness that will not subside
Take my hand and let me stop the madness that you
scream of,
Because I know that madness is what I helped create
Don’t be afraid
You let ME be afraid
Let me dry your tears
Let me conquer what came before, so you can start over
Let me wrap you up in my love and heal your pain
From the beginning, the past was never your fault
Unveil your true self hidden beneath your sorrow
Begin to step into the light
I believe we’ve crossed paths before…
You are me,
Or rather, who I USED to be...
as if you took the time
to know my name
as if you learned how i like to dance
as if you listened to the curve of my voice
as if you looked beyond your presumption
but i am here
behind every blank stare
nodding indifference
and typecast
I am here
Like bread baking
i will rise
and fill the air
with my irrestiblelure
Like coffee roasting
I will pull you to wake
to my pungent truths
Like the holy beauty of a silver rose
I will flower over the weeds
of your ignorance
you got up
made me tea
you wiped the counter
where i had spilled the cream
you dressed for work
yet again
as i typed on the computer
you called me to remind me of .......
you probably thought of me alot during the day
you made me dinner while i pretended to do homework
All i did was slide out of your body one bristly morning and now you still give me LIFE
it didn't happen that fast
slow like knives dull cutting hard skin
it took me under
i breathed in like smoke was in my lungs
now
it is slow
water dripping from rusty faucet
fog wrapping coastline
flooded carpets in the entryway
slow in the way of wrinkles and gray
Do you remember what it was like before?
like the first time ice cream sweetened your tongue