Free to be Me 

In the quiet hush of morning light, 

I gaze at the reflection in the mirror. 

Scars of the past linger still, 

but the hope I am finding, is a little clearer. 

The pain and sorrow I have had to bear 

become a tapestry of survival. 

Each scar a testament to battles there. 

They are lessons of strength’s revival. 

Replacing the lies I have heard all my life 

with the truth of God’s unconditional love. 

The words of the world cut me as a knife. 

But I am a survivor, rising above.  

Shadows of doubt tug at my heart, 

but I refuse to let them win. 

I am enough for who I am, 

regardless of the world I live in. 

I have worn the weight of judgments chain 

for what feels like an eternity. 

I choose now to release the pain, 

refusing to live a life of conformity. 

So, I stand up tall and brave 

with determination to win. 

I cast away fear and self-hatred, 

embracing who I am within.