Brick by Brick

Brick by brick I buried her deep beneath the rubble.

Brick by brick I silenced her voice until she spoke no more.

Brick by brick I lost her little by little, feeling her presence buried deep down within but refusing to help her. If I ignored her, she would no longer exist.

Brick by brick she drowned under the weight of it all, losing sight of all hope. The walls too high to climb, too sturdy to penetrate- she sat down and accepted her fate.

Sometimes she would feel brave and I would hear her scream from within, raging against the walls, begging to be let out.

Ignore and continue on. Empty as a shell but following the path desired for her. The shell obeyed and did what was asked of her. The shell didn't talk back or share her unwanted opinions.

The shell dressed how she was supposed to and acted as she should. The shell never rocked the boat. The problem was, eventually the shell will break and what happens then? When her shell broke it was as if a phoenix rose out of the flames. Fiery and finally free of her cage. No longer afraid of who she was, she found her voice again. That voice I stole from her so long ago.

Amongst the fire and flames was a softness, as if the years buried under the rubble broke her and rebuilt her with kindness and love.

It was a strength I had glimpsed from time to time but here she was standing fully before me. Despite what I did to her, she fought her way out.

Back to herself, back to me. A merging of body and spirit.

Did she lead me here or I her?

Does it matter? We made it.