Once upon a time
I let you have your say
You tortured me with lies
I believed you anyway
You taught me how to drown my pain
To run away from “fear”
But when I chased your promises
I lost everything I held dear
I lived like I was unlovable
As you reminded me of my past
You swore that freedom came by night
But the feeling didn’t last
In the morning I awoke empty
Filled only with guilt and shame
The tears came without permission
But to you it was only a game
Night by night I became imprisoned
You tried to make the cell look pretty
I hated myself but didn’t know why
I longed for the light within the city
When Dawn finally broke through one day
She spoke of love I’ve never heard
I tried to follow but you laughed at me
Called me a fool for believing her word
But she said God uses fools
To shame the prideful wise
She said your fruit is tasteless
I must open my heart’s eyes
You tried to drown her Voice
To steal the Hope she gave me
You reminded me I was unloved
Forgotten I would always be
I retreated once again
Worthy only of the night
But still the morning son arose
Never ceasing to offer light
This time I didn’t hesitate
I grabbed the sunbeam’s hand
He walked me to still waters
And carried me over rough lands
He was kind and perfect
You said it was just a dream
You hurled out accusations
Said I deserve the wooden beam
You recounted every shameful act
And each one I couldn’t deny
So I weepingly climbed to my judgment seat
And that’s when I saw Him cry
He wept for me
For me, for me…
He took my place…
How could this be?
You laughed and clapped
You loved this plan
Instead of destroying me
You’d hang the innocent man
Darkness came that I knew too well
I pleaded with Him to leave me be
But with outstretched arms he breathed,
“I love you with all of me.”
This time I
wept and couldn’t stop
Was being unworthy truly a lie?
You convinced me so many times before
But for my
life, this man would die!
So I cast my past upon the wooden beam
Releasing my fears, I could finally see
You were only a lie crushed by the Dawn
You were vanquished; I was set free!
(I wrote this poem after a meeting with one of the girls. After being changed by the Gospel, she’s now a free young woman. She said if she could title her life, she’d name it: You Can’t Stop Me Now.)