red lines run down pale flesh

in each one inscripted a number

one is the time her father left her

two is the time her mother cursed her

three is the time her boyfriend used her

four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten

the list goes on.

leaving scars

leaving tears

tears

so each time her heart

was shattered into a thousand glass shards

she decided to pick up the pieces

and erase the pain with pain,

creating crimson stains

and wishing she might go back

to being okay.

But okay will never be the same

because pain is a memory

and memories

leave

scars

a permanent reminder

of what longs to be forgotten.

And she bandages and binds

and scrubs and covers and hides,

but the scars will never fade away.

So tell her.

Tell her to be brave

Tell her not to hide behind that sweater lined with fear

Tell her that those scars tell a story the world needs to hear

And tell her if she covers them

She will only be submitting to the enemy.

So tell her to bear those scars on her arms like sleeves

And to shout to the world that she must be redeemed.

redemption can heal

better than any prescription, better than any pain.

memories cannot be erased

but time will fade their strength

and strength will be renewed everyday

if you let redemption reign.