I know I am not broken

But I still feel shattered, ripped, and scattered 

I am still exhausted from trying to piece everything together 

Trying to make sense of senseless actions and exclamations 

Trying to make sense of the thoughts floating in me

Trying to make sense of the scars and bruises 

Trying to make sense of these stars floating across my vision 

But it never seems to make sense, no matter how hard I try

No matter how many days I isolate myself 

No matter how many times I write 

No matter how many times I breathe

I know I am not broken

And I know that I am not this pain 

But what will I be without it? 

Who am I beyond these 20 years of experiences? 

What am I beyond a brain that has been rewired with every traumatic experience?

What does it really mean to be free? 

What does it really mean to be me? 

They say hurt people hurt people and I don’t ever want anyone else to feel this pain 

I know I am not broken but I don’t want to cut you on all of my many pieces 

Elikem’s Corner, a series of poems from our Editor-In-Chief, Elikem Thee Poet. These poems give insight to a piece of her world; her own lived experiences and the experiences of people around her