Three weeks ago
I felt scared
I felt panicked
I felt unsure
I felt lost
I felt alone
I felt weak
I felt crazy
Three weeks later
I feel strong
I feel empowered
I feel courageous
I feel a little invincible
I feel like a conquistador
I feel proud
I feel brave
Tonight
I want to bottle this feeling
Memorize this moment
So that I can take it out when I need a reminder
Of who I am
Of what I’ve overcome
Someday
I want to look back on this
Without regret
Without sadness
Without bitterness
And only feel proud
That what I endured
Didn’t break me
It didn’t shatter me into millions of sharp pieces
Instead
A fire within me was ignited
Inflamed by my struggles
Emboldened by my heartache
It burns so bright and so fiercely
That I wonder if the stars above will take notice
Unsure if I’m beckoning them
Or trying to outshine them
We’re the same though
The stars and I
We’re both exploding from our depths
And illuminating what would have been total darkness