Willow

My young self was afraid to speak up,
To seek justice in a world full of wrong,
Half empty was usually how I saw my cup,
Little hope of ever becoming strong.

I was sheltered too much and not allowed to grow,
I failed three times to set out on my own,
Only to return to the home I best know,
Wishing I had more of a backbone.

From Florida to Wyoming I left,
With a close friend to help guide my way,
My departure was treated like a theft,
But my life was mine and no one else had a say.

Bitter cold winters challenged the only life I knew,
Mistakes tested the friendship that helped me leave,
But hard lessons molded me into someone new,
In myself I finally learned to believe.

I learned to love the coldest winters here,
They made me forge a much needed backbone,
Each passing day my mind grows more clear,
My once weak spirit stronger than stone.

I am a willow in the winter standing strong,
Flexible but unwilling to break,
The person I was meant to be all along,
With a sense of self that no one can take.