In this stirring and deeply personal work, Jena—a courageous survivor of domestic violence—shares her powerful journey from victim to victor. This poem, published in part within our 2024 annual report, lays bare the raw, unfiltered reality of her experience while illuminating her indomitable spirit.
Through vivid, unflinching imagery and heartfelt expression, Jena’s words chronicle the pain, fear, and despair she endured. Yet, woven throughout the verses is a steadfast resilience and an unwavering belief in her capacity to rise again. Her story is not only a testament to the strength of the human spirit but also a beacon of hope for those navigating similar situations.
Jena’s voice reminds us of the importance of listening, supporting, and advocating for survivors everywhere. This poem serves as both a call to action and an inspiration, demonstrating that even in the darkest of circumstances, the light of healing and renewal is possible. Jena’s journey from sorrow to freedom is a victory not only for her but for all who dare to reclaim their power.
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Victim
She fell for the lie that a man could save her, But no knight in shining armor was he.
He tricked her long enough to control her.
He loved and cherished her
Only so he could devalue and demean her Little-by-little.
Silently she endured hell by his hands,
The wrath of his deep rage.
His power invalidating her pain.
Protection a myth, safety an illusion,
help evading and hope slipping away
Day-by-day.
His words always perfect, sounding so sincere. “I’m sorrys, didn’t mean its, won’t do it agains” Tugged at her heart strings.
“It’s your faults” and “you made me do its”
Trauma bonded her brain
Word-by-word.
Rose colored glasses distorted her vision,
“Happily ever after,” she dreamed.
“I’m all you need now,” he’d say,
Knocking out the support system beneath her. Her independence, a distant memory now shattered. Moment-by-moment.
To protect her children she stayed.
A journey of miserable years,
Hidden marks, horrid words, endless shame. Walking on eggshells to avoid his anger,
He collected a trophy of her tears.
Drop-by-drop.
For his mistakes, she paid the price.
He could do no wrong, she could do no right. High above the laws and rules he soared,
Invincible, untouchable, a powerful man.
Below him she was, incompetent, powerless in his eyes. Day-by-day.
A man of valor seen, not the monster beneath.
Blinded by his antics and tricked by his charm,
There was no one his lies hadn’t stung.
Puppets under his spell they became.
His manipulation tainted them all.
Lie-by-lie.
“Why didn’t she leave?” people ask.
But no one questions why he abused her.
He bent her and broke her and destroyed her.
Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide,
She tried so hard to make her love for him stronger.
Excuse-by-excuse.
Failed by the justice system was she.
Silenced by those who vowed to fight for her
Against a relentless man she couldn’t defeat on her own. His actions always excused, leaving her life at stake.
A blockade from victim to victor they made.
Verdict-by-verdict.
A fragment of a shattered soul she became.
A shell of existence barely existing.
Her light eradicated by his shadow.
He unraveled everything she was,
Destroying every part of her being.
Piece-by-piece.
“Why didn’t she ask for help?” they wonder.
So many times she tried, so many more no one would listen. There was no escape, help only a mirage in the distance. Victim shaming became her captor, suffocated by fear was she. Hopelessness devoured her spirit.
Inch-by-inch.
By his two hands, the life inside her soul disappeared. One day it was there, the next it was gone.
Nothing to lose he had, but by the death of her light, everything to gain. Her fight was gone and her strength eroded.
So worn and weary was she, despair no longer just a whisper. Tear-by-tear.
Alone in a world so cold-hearted and cruel,
The voice of his words became her own.
“You don’t matter” was now all she could hear.
To sorrow she surrendered, all hope she relinquished. She fell for the lie that not even she could save her.
Little-by-little.
Victor
She walked away and never looked back,
Broke the trauma cycle did she.
The day she left healing had begun.
She vowed to live a life she loved, despite it all. Never will she be the dark she endured.
but the light that refused to surrender.
If she fell seven times, eight she stood.
Her gaze fixed upon things above.
In a hopeless world she sought the tiniest remnants of light. Wrapped in a savior’s love,
She picked herself up,
determined to rise.
Hope is but a small rebellion.
A rebel with a holy cause is she.
Clothed in brave and courage wrapped,
In the eyes of fear she stared.
“You won’t win,” her voice shook,
“The love within me is stronger than the hate within thee.”
Rewrite history she cannot,
but upon it she will build.
With a broken wing she endures,
In the beauty of freedom she soars.
Bruised and battered she may be,
But she’s only bent, not broken.
By a thief once stolen, her power she took back. Roaring with resilience, fierce in fearlessness,
A force to be reckoned with is she.
The woman she was, once destroyed, now rebuilt. Boldy she declares: “This is my life and he no longer owns it.” She’s the heroine in her own story.
The chains that bound her were invisible,
Grateful is she that the scars they left will remain. Lessons in worth and value they teach.
Real love should erase your tears and never your smile. It should heal and not hurt,
Always protect, cherish and honor.
From ground zero she rose, the hardest thing she’s ever done. She didn’t give up, and against all odds persevered.
A new life to her kids she gave, filled with love and laughter and safety. Like butterflies free from a cage,
hope inside of their hearts dancing and fluttering and flying. Their light now shines ever so beautifully and brightly.
None of her life story will ever be wasted.
Her pain, the canvas for a new life she created.
Her struggles a gift, her scars a catalyst.
Through them both, this world she will change.
The journey from sorrow to victory she well traveled.
No longer a victim, but a victor she became.