Denigrated by mother,
pummeled by life and love,
full of self-loathing
that converts camera
and mirror to weapons
crushing her spirit,
a question, unexpected,
dredges abuse, looses tears.
Healing begins, courage
to open to probing, to words.
Daring to acknowledge
personal worth, to concede
inner value, she braves
a larger mirror, a tad more
introspection. A possibility
of worthiness.