“ I’m not sure why it took me so long to tell someone, or why I wasn’t able to run. Why did I feel like I was the one who had done something wrong? I’ll never forgive you but I thank you for making me strong.”

I thought maybe
I’d feel better
by pouring myself
into the ink of this letter.

I wrote paragraphs about how
much I loved you and hated you,
each word teeming with resentment
from everything you put me through.

I poured my heart into the pages
apologizing for the mistakes I made
and questioning whether or not
things would be different if I’d stayed.

After hours of writing and
staining each page with drops of tears,
I put the letter in a crowded drawer,
wiped my face, and whispered, “Cheers.”