One Cut, That Was All It Took

I'm glad to say that I am mostly free of this now, just wanted to bring one of my more powerful pieces back.

"One time." that's all I thought,

"Once won't cause any trouble."

I was dead wrong!

One cut, that was all it took.

One turned into two,

Two turned into three,

And three turned into too many.

Once can make you addicted.

Once started the urge to keep going,

To keep the blood flowing down my arm.

One cut, that was all it took.

Author's Note

Tell me what you think.

Reviews

[Sam Davidson]

It's interesting that you see it as an addiction man. I'm a manic depressive, which you might have guessed from the poem you kindly reviewed, and I used to cut myself. I always saw it as a kind-of route to an ultimate suicide. A test to see whether or not you're capable of desecrating your own body in an attempt to drown out feelings of despair and isolation.

This poem has given me a new vantage point; the idea that self harm can become the main focus of a depressive mood, the idea that it could take over a life. I get the sense that maybe you could compare how people see self harm with how people see, say, alcoholism or heroin addiction. Nice new views here.

[Alex Vidmar]

hmmm welll... this brings back memories... well done.

[Jinx's Heart]

I share this addiction as well. I appreciate you sharing this. It helps me not feel alone.

[Wicahpi]

Sounds like any other addiction that is not easily fixed without some sort of
outside therapy and/or help of some kind. I'm not sure it's something one simply
grows out of, either. Sad to think there are those that actually take to scarring
themselves (though I do understand the whys). I see this so much where I work
(addiction, not always the cutting) and hear the reasons behind it all. So many
hardships, so many tragedies. The is raw and heartfelt. Took courage to write it!

[shayne]

it speaks of my story too. I know how it is to feel this way

[EpicKizzy]

i agree that it becomes addicting good write=)

[~Sorcha~]

Cutting is an escape, which makes it an addiction. Once really was all it took to start the cycle. For me, personally, it was like entering a void of time, space, and all else. Nothing existed, but it made everything real. Made everything seem like it wasn't happening to me, but it was there and I could see it, understand it.

I didn't cut my arms or anything, though a few of my friends did. I cut my upper legs, it was the easiest spot to hide the cuts. But at the time I cut, I was in such a slump that I marveled at the cuts, and so my friends found out and totally freaked. Even the ones that cut told me to stop, while they cut themselves more often than I had. Of course, they thought I was suicidal, which I wasn't, I was just... escaping while existing if that makes sense.

I like this poem because it really makes sense, especially to us cutters in the world.

[Krazy On The Outside]

I like it a lot!
I haven't ever cut but one of my friends used to and two of them do now. My one friend has noghtmares sometimes about one of them because she is one of her oldest friends and I'm the only one that knows about my other friend cutting.
Love the poem!!

[r]

nice job....great description....i suffered as well... keep fighting and working.... i am 6 months clean and eventually you will come out on top. Good luck in my contest and best of luck with beating cutting....need someone to talk to? message me.... ive been there done that so keep pushing and keep chugging and you will get there... i believe in you

[Jessica]

I understand this one too. I used to cut, but I hid it so well that not even my parents or close friends found out. Now, I've only told two people, my boyfriend and my best friend and they both helped me and were there to catch me when I fell. I understand the addiction to it and it really is bad but I thought it would all be okay as long as I tried not to leave a scar.
I realized that it didn't help anything and that it just made me worse more depressed and I was going to my pair of scissors or even a safety pin at one time almost every night.
It's hard to stop things like this and you have to have good people around you that care enough to stop you. Great write =)

[Jemma]

Great poem. You expressed it well. This is an addiction I struggle with so I understand it all to well.
Its like saying from the first cut till the last but you never relize that the last cut could really be the last thing you ever do. Its depressing in it self.

Nice writting.