You Showed Me The Way (Poem)

I stepped out of a dark place that I stepped in before I ever knew…
Anything

I stepped out of the dark place still not knowing…
Anything

I thought I knew
And I made sure you knew I knew
But even though you knew I didn’t know
You still told me go keep coming, keep sharing, keep growing

You loved me until I learned to love myself
Unconditional love

The type of love that made the love I once knew
seem like no love at all

No longer bound by the continuous cycle that carries on til the bitter end
No longer trembling in fear with my back against the wall
unable to trust another human being
No longer fated for jails, institutions or death

I came to you with daggars in my back
So many scars I couldn’t tell one from the next
You held my hair back as I heaved out all my resentments

I came to with nothing
No morals, no dignity, self respect, identity

You showed me a new way to live
Taught me that I never have to pick up again…
No matter what

You showed me how to love again
Eat, sleep, work and breathe again

You showed me how to play
Live my life for the day
Give thanks and praise
Survive anything

You showed me The Way