Ann-Marie Spittle

EXPERIENCE

I have come far from the shadow me
A frozen child
Sunken in a hole of adult building
Afraid to rear my head for fear of death
Fear of retribution
A life less lived
A heart less grown
A power less used

Then I was free

An imagined control by the other
A false understanding of a system
Allowed me to fly
From their grasp
Into the arms of a better life
Protected by an institution known for aggression
But gentle in its caring for the soul

A life of more construct
Support and pride
Allowing yet realistic controlling
For a purpose not a pastime
Out of experience not fear

And so my flower bloomed among the greenery
A small seed fed by an expert gardener
That brought out the true essence of the original
Giving it more depth and strength
More roots and flexibility in adversity
Bend not break
Whip not stand
Flow not solidify

And now I stand a different
From the original
A tree amongst the grasses
They come and go
But I stand firm
For I have lived and learned
Not sat and read

Submitted for the September 2010 IWVPA Club Theme Project, “Experience V Education”