Photo by Darwin Chan, c2018

Poetry by Beatrice Preti, c2017

I remember the way she yelled at me

And called me names that I believed

She called me stupid and useless and dumb

But I knew no better, so I turned numb

But the tears still fell out when I was alone

My heart felt so empty, so broken, so cold

Though I tried to forget, I began to obsess

Even now I’m on edge; I can never find rest

Everywhere that I go, her words haunt me still

“You’ll never be a doctor, you no-good girl!”

I can’t seem to forget how she made me feel

Although now it’s all hazy, as if it wasn’t real

Just like a bad dream that stays with you too long

I can’t forget what she said, though they all say she’s wrong

I know that she wins, when it affects me this way

But how can I forget when her words won’t go away?