The Process of Processing

So I spoke my truth. The world knows about my assault and how it’s impacted me since.

So, now what? What do you do when you finally rip open your widest wound and wear it as a badge of honor on your sleeve?

Look everyone! Here it is! All my ugly dirty parts that I’ve been keeping hidden! 

Here is what has defined so much of who I’ve been over the last decade! Here’s what I worked so desperately to keep the world from knowing about me!

I put so much thought, so much emotion, and so much preparation into the moment I would finally come out of hiding and speak my truth (about both my sexuality and my assault). And I did it. I finally did it. My story is on the internet and that means anyone who cares enough to find out can know these details about me. 

I finally jumped that hurdle.

So, now what?

What do I do now?

Seriously, I’m asking for suggestions. 

(Below, find a poem I wrote to express how this all feels right now)

There are certain memories 

that fill my guts with wet cement

They weigh me down, 

and leave me

to get stale on the shelf

And I feel that

I feel stale

Soggy

Like someone’s dirty bandage 

that fell off

and ended up

in the filter of a public pool

These memories

they stall me

I could be on fire

flying high

taking on the world

And, like ingrown hair, one of these memories will start to fester.

Until it’s all I can think about

And all I can see is beige

And my mouth fills with sand

And my will deflates

And my soul becomes hollow

And my guts fill with wet cement

And I’m left

on the shelf

to get stale

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