A whisper of shame,

A quiet stigma born from the world’s perception,

She carried it like a second skin,

A constant companion fueled by a cold and creeping fear,

It separated her from what felt like normal.

Her inner world was churning, chaotic thing,

An extreme landscape of emotion,

A suffocating black hole of despair that held her captive,

Sometimes it was just a low ache,

A persistent, hollow ache,

Igniting into a fierce anger,

A protest against a life she didn’t choose.

She held a deep and crushing negative belief of herself,

A narrative she replayed endlessly,

It was a never ending cycle.

Once, a sudden, sharp singularity

A moment that felt like a break in time,

The old narrative shattered,

An intense rush of happiness in her,

A raw and powerful sensation,

Not the quiet contentment of peace,

But a blazing elation that lit in her,

A different kind of fire,

No longer anger but pure, untainted joy.

This was her true self, found at last.

The sweet euphoria wasn’t from a stranger’s fleeting approval,

But from her own heart finally saying,

“Yes”.