You Are Not Alone

• Jordena Harris, Grade 7, Mercy Diocesan College -
• Poetry
• 2020

Excellence Award in the 'The Inside Story 2020' competition

Darkness makes many succumb to its power
Eating you up inside, making the person you once were cower
Anger, sadness, injustice and grief bottled up, kept hidden from the start
Locked behind the bars you tattooed on your heart

It can sneak up in the shadows, swooping in on its prey
Or show up on even the brightest of days
It can make you believe untruths and lies
Convincing you that you are worthless and no one will listen to your cries

You feel as if you are a puppet, another mindless clone
You paint a smile on your face, but inside you feel numb down to your very bones
The agony of the past and what lies ahead resurfaces, your vision blurs
You are left drowning, but fight to never utter a single word

You cannot deny it, the pain and the rest that I can hardly scope
But, despite what you think, there is still hope
It might be hard, but you can fight it, and it doesn't have to be on your own
Because, most importantly, what I want to tell you is you are not alone