So I found out today that my contest entry did not make it to the semi-finalist round. Which is ok. Of course I’d be super thrilled if I did make it but I also know there will be other opportunities.

That said, for those that didn’t read it, here’s the poem that was submitted and published on Addiction Unscripted.com
Take My Hand-Jessica Donovan

It’s all so painful and shitty. Life I mean. 

Why not numb it? 

Why would anyone want to remember who they are or where they came from?

There’s always an experience that’s just too hard to handle.

For everyone. 

Just kill it all. 

Drop a bomb on life.

Leave your mind behind.

Live in the dark.

You’ll like it better there.

It’s safe, a warm and cozy spot where you can spend your days in comfort.

You won’t have to face that you were sexually abused as a child.

Leaving you emotionally unavailable.

You won’t have to recognize the burning anger that lays within you from being beaten.

Never will you have to fully commit to the love you don’t feel you deserve. 

You can spend your days killing the pain.

Pushing everyone away.

It’s so much easier to keep life at bay. 

Look at what you’re doing though.

Can you see it?

You have become exactly what you’re running from.

The abuser, beater and pain dealer. 

Everyone that loves you wants to live in the dark now too. 

Continuing the cycle of abuse.

Stomping on virgin feelings while you kill your own

Teaching bad coping skills.

Go right ahead, numb your mind though.

Just know you’re the only one who’s benefitting. 

Or are you? 

Do you even know anymore?

You can’t tell, can you?

Your moral compass is gone, isn’t it?

It’s ok, you’ve lost you.

Assuming you were once found that is.

You weren’t found by me, I don’t really know you.

Maybe someone knows you better than you or I do?

I’m sorry, I don’t know what to tell you. 

Maybe one day, you’d like to wake up and face yourself. 

Perhaps you could choose a different path.

I’m sure you would love to meet you.

I think I’d like to meet you too.

It’s going to be hard. 

You’re going to have to stop being afraid of the monsters under your bed.

You’re going to have to clear your head. 

Can you do that?

I can help you if you want but I can’t be who you’ve become. 

Don’t trick me and lure me down your path.

Once you go this way, I hope you don’t turn back. 

Choose this way before the option gets taken away.

Living life in the fray will not lead to longer days.

I know you don’t know me yet.

How could you know me when you don’t know you?

Can you trust that I love you though? 

While you never deserved that abuse or those beatings.

It’s only what happened to you.

It’s not who you are.

The painful shitty life never let you see beyond what needed fixing.

Will you choose to love you? 

Come live in the light with me.

I have so much to show you. 

You’ll like living in your mind.

Feeling the sunlight.

It’s so warm and cozy. 

You can spend your days in comfort.

Once you do the work that is.

Let me be honest.

The work will never stop.

Your triggers will always be there.

Actually you may feel worse at first. 

You’ve never dealt with real life before.

All you know how to do is be numb. 

That’s ok, I understand. 

You didn’t know how to let yourself feel. 

Now it’s time to heal.