Theodora Miranda | + Follow Poet |
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Aftermath

Aftermath

You found me naked and alone
You found me unprotected
You fed upon me, your unwilling and unwitting victim
You fed upon me, your unwilling and unwitting prey
You ravaged me
You ravaged my life
You ravaged my body
You ravaged my heart
You ravaged my soul
Your presence is scorched upon my memory
Your presence is scorched upon my body
Your presence is scorched upon my soul
You no longer exist in the world
You will always exist in my world
You will always exist in my life
My worldly belongings you devoured
My home you devoured
My independence you devoured
My health and wellbeing you devoured
My safety and security you devoured
My life you devoured
Carnage was your gift to me
Carnage of my body from your toxic breath
Carnage of my soul from your avarice
Carnage of my heart from your voracious appetite
Carnage from the countless traumas that you inflicted upon me
Carnage as you fed upon my soul, my life
Carnage as you stole everything from me
Carnage as your long, hot fingers licked over my life
Carnage, destruction and devastation were your gifts to me
For one long, horrifying and unbelievable year I fought to stay alive
The aftermath of surviving your visit, your attack, your victory over me
Several long, dangerous and terrible industrial strength treatments I needed to fight death
Ongoing, compounded trauma I needed to fight in the aftermath of you
My lungs were dying from your toxic smoke
My body was dying from the illnesses you wreaked upon me
My body was dying from the treatments that I needed to fight death
My heart was shattered in the aftermath of your visit
My soul was withered in the aftermath of your visit
My body was entirely crippled from the traumas, in the aftermath of your visit
Yet as I fought, so many times, to stay alive
I was still able to smile, to laugh, to love
I was still able to keep joy in my heart
I was still able to focus on a happy future
I was still able to believe that I could recover and to believe that I would recover
I chose to fight
I fought with my mind and with my body
I fought with all that I had in me and I fought with all that I did not have in me
Nobody expected me to survive
Nobody expected me to recover
Nobody expected me to be independent
At my weakest I forced myself to fight and commit to intensive physiotherapy 
At my weakest I forced myself to fight and commit to intensive occupational therapy 
At my weakest I forced myself to eat, I forced myself to move
At my weakest I forced myself to do what I needed to do
For long and painful months I fought and fought some more
For long and painful months I  fought to rebuild my body
For long and painful months I fought to rebuild my home
For long and painful months I fought to rebuild my life
I still fight and fight some more
Against all odds I am whole
Against all expectation I am restored
Defying the facts of my reality and defying belief
I am alright once again
I am independent once again
Your are seared upon my memory
You are seared upon my flesh
You are seared upon my heart
You are seared upon my soul
Against all odds, I, like the Phoenix have risen from your ashes
Against all odds, I, like the Phoenix have risen from the ashes of my body
Against all odds, I, like the Phoenix have risen from the ashes of my life
My heart and soul sing once more
My life will be better than before
I have beaten you Morton Bushfire
I have escaped your carnage and your grip
Black Summer Bushfire, I won
Black Summer Bushfire, I too am fire
I was forged in the aftermath of you

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Diane Perna Date: 6/15/2022 4:52:00 PM You're an amazingly strong person, I admire you so much, I can totally relate to your feelings and message! Nicely done! Login to Reply

Chinedum Ekwobi Date: 6/6/2022 5:50:00 AM Man's final boastful mention of his Victorious Survival is sure for the Unfortunate Ears of his Torturer: Man or Nature's even a Conflagration. Login to Reply Theodora Miranda Date: 6/15/2022 12:33:00 AM Hello Chinedum, thank you for your message. I share your sentiment. Indeed.

Timothy Ray Date: 6/3/2022 6:08:00 PM often we walk down the path in a relationship we realize we were blind to ourselves...my poem, "you spoke of boundaries", touches on this...."my judas" is another one...love is blind it is often said, it is also deaf and mute....and you have certain intent line after line vented in fine poetic form...a journey into freedom Login to Reply Theodora Miranda Date: 6/15/2022 12:31:00 AM Hello Timothy, thank you for your message and kind words.

Timothy Ray Date: 6/2/2022 2:20:00 PM manumit comes heavily to mind herein....quite the portrait in this limn...how sweet the taste of freedom, especially when the slavery was there in us....quite the common thread in so many... Login to Reply Theodora Miranda Date: 6/3/2022 5:45:00 PM Thank you Timothy. I must admit that I don't quite understand your poetic message but very much appreciate your positive and supportive sentiment.