She was only twenty when she decided to leave,
The familiar place she’d known since she learned to breathe.
Excitement consumed her, not knowing what lay ahead,
And “I can do it,” were the last words she said.
Days passed, and months followed fast,
The scars on her hands became visible at last.
She came home with bags under her eyes, silently asking, “Why?”
In this new place, she longed to say goodbye.
She never imagined the hardships that awaited her,
Upon realizing the world she’d dreamed of wasn’t a dream, but a blur.
It was never easy; “hard” was an understatement,
From the battles she fought to the pain she couldn’t shake at that moment.
She sought help, but now, she was alone,
Leaving was a choice, but survival was unknown.
How to survive in a battlefield with no ally,
Surrounded by eyes of enemies, silently watching her try.
But she stood her ground and chose to move forward,
Ignoring the stares, walking through it all, even when it was harder.
She learned to protect herself, to never ignore her own worth,
For in this world she chose to live, she couldn’t be who she was from birth.
Years passed since she left her home,
She grew stronger, now she could freely roam.
The battlefield, where she learned the hardest way,
Became her comfort zone, where she no longer wished to run away.
The scars on her hands—reminders of everything she’d been through,
She promises now to never fear the new scars that come into view.
Leaving home, her last resort, gave her memories she can’t erase,
Memories she’ll carry as she continues to embrace her grace.
