Victim to Survivor (Reverse Poem)

Poem by Sarah C. Stevenson

(Note: This is a reverse poem. It is meant to be read from top to bottom and then from the bottom back to the top.)

Love is abuse

And I will never again believe that

I am valuable and worthy of love

I know that

Nobody will ever feel the pain that I feel

Even when it seems like

Everything is going to be ok

I constantly remind myself that

I somehow deserve everything that is happening to me and this is all my fault

When I find myself thinking that

I am strong and beautiful

I know that

This couldn’t be further from the truth

Because

I am worthless

I refuse to believe that

Love is respect

And

People really do love and care about me

The world has shown me that

Nobody knows me better than me

Even though

I am misunderstood, alone and forgotten

I do not believe that

I am a survivor

Sarah C. Stevenson is a BSW student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is an intern at Market Your Mind Services.