Dear Teenage Me,

Your palms are sweaty
The questions overwhelming
It’s not your fault, says the voice in the room
Your fists clench the psychologist’s fancy chair
I already know that, you want to say
But, you don’t

So far removed from the stuffy office
Your heart wanders
To memories of the past year
To the questions they ask
When your parents parted ways

Your teenage spirit wants to depart
From the soothing voice in the room
That tries to empathize
With the situation you have to return to
When the doors behind this safe place shut
Where confusion billows between two homes

But, dear teenage me,
Can I tell you one thing?
This will be a long road

Ten years from now
On a night like tonight
You will bury your heart in your chest
And, return to the memories of that year
When fear rocked you to sleep
And, happiness seemed forever no more

Dear teenage me,
Do not be angry with the counselors
They send you to
Be patient with their questions
And, know that their wisdom
Will guide you and your brother to safety once more

Dear teenage me,
You may feel so weak and torn
But, you must know this
You are stronger than
You’ll ever know

Dear teenage me,
The pain will come and go
Like the tidal waves at dusk
But, just hold on
There’s hope for tomorrow

Dear teenage me,
They say it’s always darkest
Before the dawn
So, keep the resilience
And, hold your head up high
These feelings won’t last forever

Dear teenage me,
The enemy is terrified of you
Because, for the first time, he sees
There is a fight within you
Of which your battle wounds
Will make you and those around you
All the stronger

Dear teenage me,
You will navigate forgiveness
And, hurts long buried
Time and time again
But, just remember
You are an overcomer
And, this world needs to hear your story

Dear teenage me,
Unclench your fists from the fancy chair
Look the psychologist in the eyes
And, say thank you
Their words will protect you
From all the mental scars

Dear teenage me,
Write, write, write
Healing starts now.