Dear Trauma, my constant companion,

We got together ten years ago

it's hard to forget.

You help me, remind me to be careful.

Not to trust men who smile so kindly.

If I have you with me

it keeps away everyone who might hurt me the same way,

but...

You make me afraid of people I want to be around too.

You can't seem to let go of the idea

that all men want to hurt us.

I feel terrible trying to move on from you,

you helped me through those years.

How could I leave you?

I feel like the other girls

with their own Trauma

would judge me.

Say I lied.

Say we were never together at all.

I feel like there is no right way to live with you though.

I have a new relationship now, and I want it to work.

Yet you still insist on putting a wall between him and I.

You are a part of me.

We're always together, you don't have to drive others away just to be with me.

I promise I'll always remember you,

and when I need you to, I know you'll wrap me up and protect me.

Just like when I was a little eight year old girl

crying in the courtroom.