For The Broken

by Shenaia Lucas

she was beautiful before he said so and she remained beautiful when he stopped saying it

you are not your insecurities you are the strength of the mountains and the wisdom of the rivers you are everything

remember who was there when you were broken and do not forget them in their own times of trial

you were whole before him and you can be whole after him

you weren’t my first but you were the first to matter

if you never cried if it never bent you if it was never a struggle was it really love?

you looked right past my inadequacies no, even better you loved them better than anyone has ever loved the best parts of me

i pray that i never become immune to injustice for the struggle of any is the struggle of all