You stole my light

Dimmed it

Shrouded it

Crowded it out

You stole my voice

Silenced it

Censored it

Switched it to mute

You stole my space

Seized it

Encroached on it

Squeezed me small

You stole my spirit

Quashed it

Shrank it

Diminished the fire inside

You stifled it, yes

Starved it of air

But you didn’t put it out

No, you didn’t kill it dead

Embers remain

Burning, glowing, blinking in the dark

Ready to be stoked

To burst into flames

Ready to burn bright

You stole my light

But you didn’t take my fight

I will shine and scream and stomp and shout

I will break free and take up space

I will be seen and be heard

My spirit will rise

Soar, fly and overcome

You stole my light

But you will never take my fight

***

The poem above – or draft of a poem – is from a collection I am creating called ‘Poems from Midlife’, or something along those lines.

It’s an experiment. I am experimenting with poetry as a way to connect with my inner voice on a deeper level and allow my feelings to move through my body and onto the page.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. I pondered holding it back, not publishing it, perfecting it, reading a few books on ‘how to write poetry’, getting some expert advice.

Then I thought, just do it, Katherine. Just share it. So here it is. Shared with love. From one wounded yet determined soul to another.

Resources to help you to heal and grow

Thank you for being here. I’d love to support you on your journey of healing and growth.

My first book, How to Fall Love, includes many tools to help you to connect to your feelings and overcome unhealthy patterns. It also tells the story of my personal journey of healing and finding a healthy and loving relationship.

I have numerous online courses and I’m offering a 15 percent discount on four of my self-paced courses/recorded workshops that will support you to have a healthier relationship with yourself and with others. Use the code boundaries at the checkout to access 15 percent off any of these items (valid until the end of this week):

Managing Triggers to Build Healthy Relationships (Workshop recording)

Break Free from Emotional Overeating (Workshop recording)

How to Find an Emotionally Available Partner (Course)

Step Inside – Reconnect to Your True Self (Course)

I work 1:1 with clients who are looking to create a healthy romantic relationship and/or build a fulfilling life. Explore my coaching offerings and book a free discovery call on my website.

My TEDx talk on Finding Courage, Overcoming Fear and Breaking Free will be released soon. Subscribe to this blog or to my website – www.katherinebaldwin.com – to view it when it’s out.