I was abandoned

And alone

In a strange world of conformity

No love to hold onto

No familiar smell

Rules

No freedom

Regulation

Lonely

I wondered through the wilderness

Falling into routine

And regiment

But there was always a little bit of me

Fighting to get out

To be unleashed

And find love and freedom

And be carefree

And to run on the beach Barefeet

To splash in the water

To be held

And feel loved

How could you send me away

I was 7

I was a little girl who needed

Love and hugs

I needed my mother

To hold me when I hurt

To guide me through growing up

To be there when I needed you

Nurture me, hold me, love me

But you sent me away

With all my possessions in a trunk

With a small teddy to hold on to

And I had to conform

Sleep in a dorm with the other little girls

Get up with the bell, not a kiss

Fall in line

Don’t fall out of line

Stay straight

It moulded me

But now I can unmould

Slide out of the box that’s holding me straight

Learn not to feel humiliated if something goes wrong

Relax and trust

Let go of the rope

And fly where the wind takes me