‘The You That Never Was’ is a powerful poem about healing from childhood trauma, exploring the emotional scars left by neglect, pain, and generational expectations. It speaks to the silent battles many fight alone, while still carrying the will to rise, rebuild, and rediscover who they truly are.

You never got the chance to just be you—
Not the version shaped by storms,
Not the mask carved in survival’s hue,
Not the echo of silence worn.

You were born with soft palms and open eyes,
But the world came crashing in too soon.
No lullabies—only compromise,
No gentle sun, just a warring moon.

Each dream you dared was dressed in chains,
Each laugh held back, each tear disguised.
You learned to smile through growing pains,
And shrink in rooms where hope had died.

They told you, “This is love—learn pain.”
They handed down their broken ways.
You swallowed shame like falling rain,
And called it life for countless days.

What of the child who spoke to stars?
The one who danced with barefoot grace?
She’s buried deep beneath the scars,
Still reaching up through time and space.

You never got to just exist,
To breathe without a cost or rule,
To live unjudged, unlabeled, kissed
By mornings soft and evenings cool.

Yet here you are—still fighting through,
Still rising from the ash and dust.
And though the world stole much from you,
It never broke your will to trust.

So if you’re tired, be tired. Be still.
But know your truth is born of fire.
And one day, you will climb that hill
To claim the life you once desired.

The life where you are simply you—
No chaos trailing every breath,
No compromise in all you do,
Just freedom, fierce, and full of depth.

This poem is a tribute to the survivors of childhood trauma who are still learning to reclaim their truth. Healing is not linear, but every step forward matters.

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