Survivor - By Laura
28 Jul 2021
The end of the date brought our first kiss,
Butterflies galore - nothing was amiss,
Daytime texts and phone calls every night,
Could it be love? I think it might.
With every day we got closer,
It then turned into a roller-coaster..
Wasn't allowed to see my friends,
And soon tracked all my spends,
Couldn’t leave the house looking nice,
Wasn’t allowed a mobile device,
Then it was made crystal clear,
Under no circumstances was I to have a career.
The kisses turned to kicks,
Then came the mind tricks,
Bullying, name calling and alienation,
Then told me it was just my imagination,
And if at night I wasn't in the mood,
I was then withheld from having any food,
But that didn't matter, still forced to perform,
All of this quickly become my new norm.
Cuts and bruises I was always in pain,
Nothing of the old me was left to remain,
And if another looked my way,
The next time I would need to stay.
Wasn’t allowed to leave this place,
Not with bruises all over my face,
Which by now there were more than not,
Unbroken skin was hard to spot.
One day I was left at deaths door,
Couldn’t move I was left on the floor.
I just wanted my life to end,
It got so bad that I couldn’t pretend.
Why did I stay I hear you ask?
All the sorrys were just a mask,
First apologies were flowers and gifts,
And then if I ran threats of cut wrists.
Guilt trips were used every time,
I was in too deep, I was scared for my life.
Until one day when out of sight,
I ran out the open door with all my might,
I ran outside to flag down a driver,
And from that day on I've been a survivor!
So if you start reading between the lines,
Please don't ignore the very first signs,
To all of the victims of domestic abuse,
It's never too late to finally break loose.
This powerful and thought-provoking poem reflects the experiences and feelings of many survivors of domestic abuse.
Laura pens poems about real life issues with the purpose of bringing awareness and hope to victims and others. We feel privileged she has chosen to share the passionate and insightful words of “Survivor” with us. Thank you, Laura.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, please call us on 01224 593381, email info@grampian-womens-aid.com or complete our online form for free, confidential advice.
When our phone lines are closed, Scotland’s Domestic Abuse & Forced Marriage helpline is always available on 0800 027 1234, email helpline@sdafmh.org.uk or on WebChat.