Scars Still Remain

I want to curl up in a ball like one of those roly-poly bugs and retract my heart so no one can hurt me.
I want to crawl inside my shell like a turtle and just watch the stars soar by.
I want to be strong and face my fears but my edges curl like old withered paper as I suffocate from the lack of oxygen in the place I now call home. The frayed edges of my broken body no longer protect my fragile bones.
I am vulnerable, for all to see. Open your eyes and notice me. Notice that I am alive. That I’m here. Take a deep breath and force yourself to look at me, whether you want to or not.
I will no longer be trampled on by the heartless footsteps of the players of this game I despise. I will no longer be shoved roughly to the floor so that you can have what you want. I will no longer wait for you. I can’t do it anymore.
These echoes of self-doubt strangle me as I stare at my reflection in the mirror wishing it wasn’t me I was seeing but someone strong, someone happy, someone beautiful.
These shadows surround me as they erase the single flame I held, the single light I had was extinguished as my hand was scorched.
The scars still remain.