I did not rise
like firework light —
loud and desperate
for applause.
I rose
like something ancient.
Like earth shifting.
Like a spine remembering
it was never meant to bend that low.
They thought survival
was the end of me.
Thought silence
would make me small.
Thought time
would erase what they refused to face.
But time
did something else.
It built me.
Brick by broken brick.
Breath by shaking breath.
Lesson by lesson
I never asked to learn.
I stopped asking
to be understood
by people committed
to misunderstanding me.
Stopped shrinking
to fit hands
that only held me
when it suited them.
I rose
the first time I said
“No more.”
I rose
the day I realised
forgiveness does not require
re-entry.
I rose
when I chose peace
over proving.
And now —
I do not beg
to be seen.
I do not bleed
to be believed.
I do not break
to make others comfortable.
I stand.
Not untouched.
Not unscarred.
But unowned.
The girl who once
waited to be rescued
now walks forward
without looking back.
Not because it didn’t hurt —
but because it doesn’t hold her anymore.
I did not just survive.
I rose.
Feb 20
Feb 20, 2026 at 6:14 PM UTC
I did not rise
like firework light —
loud and desperate
for applause.
I rose
like something ancient.
Like earth shifting.
Like a spine remembering
it was never meant to bend that low.
They thought survival
was the end of me.
Thought silence
would make me small.
Thought time
would erase what they refused to face.
But time
did something else.
It built me.
Brick by broken brick.
Breath by shaking breath.
Lesson by lesson
I never asked to learn.
I stopped asking
to be understood
by people committed
to misunderstanding me.
Stopped shrinking
to fit hands
that only held me
when it suited them.
I rose
the first time I said
“No more.”
I rose
the day I realised
forgiveness does not require
re-entry.
I rose
when I chose peace
over proving.
And now —
I do not beg
to be seen.
I do not bleed
to be believed.
I do not break
to make others comfortable.
I stand.
Not untouched.
Not unscarred.
But unowned.
The girl who once
waited to be rescued
now walks forward
without looking back.
Not because it didn’t hurt —
but because it doesn’t hold her anymore.
I did not just survive.
I rose.
Rising isnt revenge. Its release. Its realising you dont need validation from the people who overlooked you. Growth is quiet, steady, and powerful. The past may shape you, but it doesnt own you. Keep going. Keep healing. You will rise in your own time.
