wheels turn

the times like deja vu when the rough strikes, & i remember: i survived.

the moments when i hear the glowings of my strength & courage: i prevailed.

the days that i thought would be the end of all be: i survived.

never before have i buried myself in a self-love cloak, where i can look back at my blood-worn soul & smile at her reds & raws & be proud of her.

but these days on the roadways, i find her catch in my lungs & i see her for what she is: a survivor.

i survived, & i over turned tables & i broke old shadows & my arms are thicker for it.
i prevailed, & i made my words heard & i made his lies blind & my legs run longer for it.
i survived, & i have never felt so loved & blessed for the battle.

had my soul quiz not been so taxing, had i been given a chance for a guide, i would have missed the truth. i am woman & i am love & i am a survivor.

"scars speak more loudly than the sword that caused them."

the wheels turn & my days get brighter & the uphill journey's no longer ragged.

summer's bringing her shiny joy & we've begun to remember the other.