Life Goes On (September 12, 2016)

"The hardest years, the darkest years, the roarin' years, the fallen years 
These should not be forgotten years 
The hardest years, the wildest years, the desperate and divided years 
We will remember, these should not be forgotten years"

Forgotten Years by Midnight Oil (!990)

Have never thought

Of myself

As being brave

Or courageous

Like others

Have told me.

Rather

Someone

Who is struggling

To understand themselves

And how society see

Them.

Have spent

Most of my life

In hiding.

Running

From a violent past

On various fronts

In my life.

Many ways

I feel like

That 7 year old child

Who fled home

On her bike.

Crying

As the village boys

Threatened her

With shunning

And violence.

In wanting 

To be

Wonder Woman.

While 

Playing super heroes.

Only

To reemerge

Twenty-eight years later

As an adult.

Forced

To fight

A brutal war

On several levels

For my very survival

Over the past 11+ years.

As a person

With true value

And meaning.

Where

Every milestone is

A victory

Over the darkness

In my life.

Therisa © 2016

Author's note: Today (Monday, September 12, 2016), I read about the early death of Alexis Arquette, who died, from complication from AIDS. One of the many daemons that plague my community, like mental illness and self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. May we all find true enlightenment and knowledge, for having people, like Alexis, in our lives. Thank you Alexis.