Survivor Story
Surviving the Darkness
Swirling through my wounded soul,
Whirlwind thoughts and jagged pain
Dim the light of hope to gain
Restoration of the whole.
Promises of calmer days
Are muted by the darkened skies
Overwhelmed by evil’s eyes
No light can penetrate the haze.
My hope is soon reduced to ashes
Consumed by deadly, heartless power
Crushing every heart and flower
That dares to face the fiery flashes.
At my feet lay scarred remains
Of a life that has been shattered
Remnants of what once had mattered
Are nothing more than bloody stains.
Cavernous blackness fills the night
Saturating my wounded soul.
I crave escape from this shroud of coal.
That suffocates my will to fight.
My hope of healing is all but gone,
And I fall beneath the weight of black.
My harsh tears trace a gruesome crack.
I am broken; despair has won.
Dejected, I face the pitch black sky
And sorrow floods my very core.
I mourn what if? What was? What more?
Then hinting at change, a star streaks by.
One line of crimson paints the sky
Followed by glistening golden rays.
The sun is rising, and darkness sways
Until all dark tendrils finally die.
My hope and strength are very weak
But now I see with different eyes.
The crushing curses were just lies.
“Survivor,” I heard the morning speak.
—
Author's Note
"Surviving the Darkness" resonates with the sounds of suffering and survival, finally reaching the turning point of being able to see hope and healing - the first glimpse of light that cracks the darkness of trauma and illuminates the next step forward.
- Catherine White Walls, she/her
Catherine White Walls is a retired author living in the mountains of Colorado where she writes about survival, healing and resilience. She grew up in Indiana, was educated in Missouri, lived in Kansas, raised a family in Oklahoma, and now enjoys retirement with her husband and cat in Colorado. Catherine has pulled inspiration and strength through the years as a survivor of Complex PTSD and sexual abuse. She writes to remember, to celebrate healing, and to encourage other women who have walked the same grievous paths.
