I knew I had grown when my toes stretched out from my shoes.

I knew I had grown when my clothes no longer hung loose.

I knew I had grown when I went from being as small as an elf to as tall as Zeus.

I knew I had grown when my body started to deceive me.

I knew I had grown when I began to speak more eloquently.

I knew I had grown when I began to feel free.

 

Abuse was like an old friend.

Pounding fists and hurtful words never seemed to end,

Broken Relationships never seemed to mend,

Being happy was something I frequently had to pretend.

 

Anxiety attacks became a new habit I couldn’t break,

My grades and school life was at stake,

Every smile was a fake,

My life: I wanted to take.

 

I thought I was doomed from the start,

Just another soul soon to part,

Just another number for the charts,

Just another girl with a doomed heart.

 

But then, it stopped.

 

One day I got tired of letting my life control me,

Tired of being someone I didn’t want to be;

Desiring just to be free

And that was the key.

 

My days grew bright,

I slept through the night.

No longer had to fight,

I suddenly felt right.

 

So although I knew I had changed when my shoes were too small for my toes,

And although I knew I had changed when my feminine curves began to show,

Although I knew I had changed when my skin began to glow,

It was when I found joy and myself that I truly knew that I had grown.