Abuse is hell.

When you're born into it, it does terrible things to you. Getting out of that cycle is difficult at the best of times.

It took me thirty five years. It took nearly dying to realize that I was still trapped in that cycle of abuse.

The interesting thing is, my poetry from the three years prior suggests I knew I was being abused the entire time. When I walked away from the reaper, I started to walk away from the abuse I had been trying to ignore.

I took the long road out of hell, but I'm finally out. I'm safe. I'm free. I'm healing.

It's a long climb out, but I am grateful I took it.