A LONG WAY FROM WHERE I USED TO BE

YEARS AGO I LIVED IN A BOX WITH LABELS
MARKED ON ALL FOUR SIDES
LIKE A COFFIN BURIED SIX FEET UNDER
WHERE NO ONE COULD HEAR MY CRIES

ONE SIDE WAS MARKED “UNWORTHY”
AND ANOTHER MARKED “UNWANTED”
THESE WORDS BECAME MY REALITY
AND EVEN MY DREAMS WERE HAUNTED

I BELIEVED THE WORDS WERE TRUE
SO THEY STUCK TO ME LIKE GLUE
WITH NO ONE AROUND TO TELL ME DIFFERENTLY
I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO

ISOLATED AND BLINDED TO OTHER OPTIONS
I LIVED MY LIFE IN CONSISTENCY
WITH THE WORDS THAT WERE SO VICIOUSLY
USED TO DESCRIBE ME

THE WORDS ON THE OTHER TWO SIDES
WERE ALSO HURTFUL AND COLD
I FELT AS IF I WAS DAMAGED GOODS
THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN BOUGHT AND SOLD

WRITTEN IN LARGE LETTERS
WERE THE WORDS “UNLOVED” AND “UNDESIRED”
THEN A SMALL VOICE INSIDE ME SAID,
YOU ARE WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE AND I BECAME INSPIRED

TO BELIEVE IN MYSELF WITH ALL MY HEART
AND NOT THE NEGATIVE WORDS OF ANOTHER
BECAUSE I HAVE FOUND JOY AND A DEEP PASSION TO LOVE OTHERS
THAT THOSE WORDS COULD NEVER SMOTHER

AS A YOUNG CHILD I WAS OFTEN TOLD
NO GOOD WOULD COME OF MY LIFE
SO MY BELIEF SYSTEM BECAME CONTAMINATED
WITH THOUGHTS OF FAILURE AND STRIFE

BUT NOW I’VE LEARNED NOT TO ALLOW ANYONE ELSE
TO DECIDE WHAT MY FATE WILL BE
AND IT IS MY ACTIONS AND MY THOUGHTS ALONE
THAT DETERMINES MY REALITY
Diva Tyler
12/09/2009