"For"
From The Writings of Just One Negro Woman
-by Rashida Bartley
For all the moments when I walked into my fears
without hope to hold near,
for all the times when my tears
found a way to betray my false sense of courage,
as they expressed emotions that I was to afraid to confess,
for all the nights sorrow turned into rage
and my soul looked inward
to commit acts of violence against my self-esteem,
for all the days when the chains of despair
began to steal the little sense of self that I had left,
for all the times when dreams were not enough
to talk me into seeing the future,
for all the years I gave up on myself
because I forgot the reasons why I should survive,
I want to say thank you,
to you,
for all the things your love did for me
that I could not do for myself.
