How to Gain a Life

A poem by domestic violence survivor Raeanne Furfaro. You can read more of Raeanne’s poetry on PoemHunter.

With the desertion came
Hopelessness
With the Hopelessness came

Fear
With the Fear came
Grief
With the Grief came

Pain
With the Pain came
Anger
With the Anger came

Despair
With the Despair came
Knowledge
With the Knowledge came

Longing
With the Longing came
Awareness
With the Awareness came

Loneliness
With the Loneliness came
Bitterness
With the Bitterness came

Isolation
With the Isolation came
Dawning
With the Dawning came an

Epiphany
With the Epiphany came
Certainty
With the Certainty came

Independence
With the Independence came
Self Worth
With the Self Worth came

Truth
With the Truth came
Myself’
With Myself came

Happiness
With the Happiness came
Realization
With the Realization came

The fact that it is my Life, nobody can take it from me.
I may go years between each step
But each step brings me closer
To the being of Myself that nobody can take from me

©Raeanne Furfaro, 2011