I am not broken
I am not damaged
I am not a sum of mistakes

I am whole
not in a cracked and taped together way
but honestly, authentically whole

No, I am not damaged
I am not broken
I am more than the sum of my mistakes
but I am that too
it's my fault but it's not,
it's yours and theirs but no,
it's mine and I will take responsibility because
no one else will; therefore

I am not broken
I am not damaged
isn't it obvious from
my faded scars
the lack of new ones on top of them
even though they itch sometimes
and it feels like a dare
the fact is I won't give in because

I am stronger,
stronger like tempered steel
the fire didn't break me, in fact
it made me stronger
if I didn't break then

I am not broken
I am not damaged
I am stronger than anyone thinks
except for me because
I believe in myself
which is one of so many things I have learned
and easily the most important

I used to believe in other people until
the people I believed in
became the reason I quit believing
so I learned to believe in myself
all these things I've done and
that is still my crowning achievement,
saying I can,
I can,
I can do this because

I am good enough
don't tell me I'm not,
or do, because then
I will have to tell myself
that I am and that
I am stronger, stronger and smarter and better
which I will believe because
I believe in myself
look what you've done,
you've made me stronger and smarter and better which
I do not need because

I am not damaged
I am not broken
I am not a sum of mistakes,
mine or otherwise, though
I've made my fair share
I know the exact moment it started
but I don't regret it
like I should because
the scars are gone
but they left behind lessons and ultimately
the person I am,
tempered and galvanized like steel such that
I can no longer be bested by cheap aluminum

I am not damaged
I am not broken
I do not need to be fixed
but if I did I would do it myself
it would be flawless
I don't want to because

I like my flaws, even
the ones on my left arm
that I can no longer see
which I am not proud of but
I am not ashamed of
like I was told I should be
that, I tell you, took two years,
countless conversations with myself
to get over

I know I said I would take responsibility
but that, if nothing else, is your fault
I wouldn't blame you except
I do, which will take
many more inner monologues to conquer

I would thank you to
leave me alone with my thoughts
you are one of the voices I hear
the other needs to go before you do
I think you know why

I told you what he said
what you don't know is
he is gone
but he isn't really
his word remains in my head,
ringing and silent all at once,
I am just now learning to care less
I have not figured out how to make it go away
when I do, I will be stronger still
which I do not need to be because

I am strong
I am smart
I am not damaged
I am not broken