He walks into the room, immediately I get stiff.

For I know that the words are coming.

The words that cut like knives,

The words truly do break my bones,

The words that hit deeper than anything else,

The words that unearth my inequities,

The words that say you are fat, ugly, pathetic,

The words I hear daily when I get home,

The words go to my mom, sister and me,

The words that no one believes actually happen,

The words that some don’t classify as abuse.

 

These words that changed my sister.

I am a puppet and she is the puppeteer.

She says left, I hesitate and the claws of the cat come.

If she is a dryer, than I am the wetness,

The wetness that disappears.

 

The words have changed my mom.

To sleep she cries,

Curled up in a fetal position,

Seeking comfort, the door of my room opens,

She tells me all that is wrong,

All that has gone wrong.

She used to be a smiling lady,

Now she frowns and yells and screams.

 

But this doesn’t have to be our future.

Our future is ours, no one else can control it,

For we can change our minds now and keep it out.

No, we are beautiful, for God made us so,

No, we are amazing and wonderful,

No, we are a hard workers.

Just you see, we will overcome what you have said.

You will no longer control our lives,

For we have forgiven you,

You cannot control who we are.

 Note: found scholarship through fastweb