PUNK POETRY: Her by Elysia Goodson

Her

I was raised to follow the path

that they said was carved

into the ground

before I was born.

But I see the world

through eyes too young

to move forward

the way they want me to.

The ones who raised me

believe that loving hearts

regardless of their parts

makes me subhuman.

They only love the version

of me that existed before

I became the skeleton who

came out of her own closet.

I was raised to be their

perfect Christian daughter.

Now, there is not much left

of this skeleton to salvage,

but somewhere in this timeline

there is a version of me

that follows the path she chooses,

so I will live for her.

--Elysia Goodson