sometimes

the most powerful thing a person can do

is simply to refuse

 

refuse to go down without a fight

refuse the fear that lurks within

that sense of guilt or shame

 

to refuse to listen to that cycle that

plays now on repeat of

‘not good enough’

‘too much’

‘useless’

‘unworthy’

 

to pick themselves up

to hold on to the last shred of light

strength is discovered in places such as these

resiliency formed

 

it is not the denial of that pain or its cause

but the recognition

the acceptance

that what is—just is

 

and then choosing

nay, refusing

to become defined by the pain

 

Heather Pound 2024

Photo by Cathi Giesler