Exit Wounds

Lose your clothes and show your scars:

It's who you are

They mark a battle

I have a lot of scars and stitches on my body.

When I was born I had a blood transfusion.

There is a scar on my armpit.

At four, I was being naughty and jumped on the couch. I fell off the couch onto a glass of water. My head split open and the glass shattered to pieces into my head.

That gave me a scar on my forehead.

Later, when I was ten, I had gallstones and had to have my gallbladder removed.

There are 5 little scars all over my stomach.

Finally when I was 18 came the worst.

My friend was driving us home from musical practice. As I was talking to her, she hit a truck. The airbag deployed and got the right side of my face.

It took out my eye lens.

It exploded my pupil.

It tore up my iris.

It gave me glaucoma.

It changed me forever.

I have stitches in my eye.

I would give anything ANYTHING to have a normal right eye again.

Most people say it's not noticeable but if you look closely my eye resembles the eye of a cat.

The saying you don't know what you've got until it is gone is so painfully true.

Today my mother asked if I wanted to accompany her to a dance recital.

This isn't just a dance recital. It would be the dance recital of the dance studio I attended.

My mother understood why I didn't want to go, but I still felt guilty for not going with her. My father protested and asked why I didn't want to watch.

It's the same every year.

Watching dance recitals..(especially when it's from your own studio) Make me a little sad.

I am very happy and excited for all the dancers today.

I hope they know how lucky they are.

My eye injury made me not able to finish ballet.

I could If I wanted to, but losing vision changes you more than what meets the eye.

Losing vision changes your balance.

It affects your ability to turn.

To dance in general.

Most of all when it comes to performing on stage, having a screwed up eye that has trouble reacting to light makes it the hardest.

The stage lights are blinding.

You can't see where to go when the lights go out.

My parents can't seem to understand any of that.

No one can.

Just because I don't want to go watch a dance recital does not make me selfish.

It does not make me weak.

It makes me human.

Every stitch on my body tells a story.

Every scar is a victory.

and every memory is only a reminder that I am still alive.

That's the best part of it all.

In the end, I'm just happy I had the pleasure of learning to dance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z-gjCpazNg

Reviews

[dan]

Kathryn, Your litany of injuries in the beginning becomes moot when the eye injury occurs. The matter-of-fact way you tell the story is both compelling and chilling. The fact that your parents don't understand is them just wanting you to feel normalcy, they can't possibly share your perspective. I'm not saying 'forgive them,' but just try to empathize with the pain that THEY are going through WITH YOU. When parents have children, especially if they have a gift, a bright talent, the parents live a little vicariously through you. I'm not daring to suggest that their loss was equal to yours, but it WAS substantial. You are very courageous for having written and shared this. I hope you understand that I would be honored to save this write into my library favorites. Thank you so much for that. And thanks to Nisreenaa for relaying the RR. take care....dan

[Kathryn Smith]

Wow thank you so much! :) My parents do understands aspects of it though...but visually they can't..which is totally understandable. but thank you so so much.

[Deepak Belbase]

Wow! You make me speechless it's really hard to do what you've done. It's realy a beautiful poem, different piece of emotion at the same time.

[Chris]

We deal as only we can with life. A good write. I take it the story has truth to it rather than a mere fiction? It is hard dealing with what others perceive as OUR truth leaving us with so many shades of dealing to do.

[AaronFreitas]

Awesome write Kathryne! It does have a sad tint to it but it's truthful and powerful! I loved it :)

[silent poet]

Beautifully written sad story of hope and also allowing other people to see that what they take for granted can be taken away at any given most and we should be more thankful also more careful as well as more thoughtful. may god bless you!! you're not broken! you're the perfect example of strength!!

[Sydney]

It's very tragic.. the loss of your perfect eyes. Count your blessings, though, always.

[Kathryn Smith]

I still have my eyes don't worry! haha I just have an artificial eye lens and a strange looking right eye. It's not too bad.. I'm learning to embrace it for sure. I almost lost my right eye completely so I'm thankful I didn't. Thanks for the great review!

[Sydney]

See, could have been a lot worse. Thanks for sharing your story with us!

[Pratik Mishra]

Very powerful writing. The words are great. :)

[E G TEN]

Dear Author, a friend of mine send me a request to read this. They say that God wont put you to a trial that you would not overcome, and what you had been through only shows how strong of a person you are inside and out. This is a wonderful story and very well written.
Thanks for sharing! :-)

[andrew mitchell]

I didn't see a scar person but someone brave taking life on full on and getting back up if you got knocked down. A wonderful story!:)

[Zoey Ree]

I like the idea that you put your story out there, describing the pain and emotions that came with it! However, you never want to portray a rough time in your life as a sob story, perhaps consider writing it from a more courageous, encouraging aspect so that others may draw power and motivation rather than constant negativity and feeling like the world is out to get you. It may feel like that sometimes, especially if those people are close to/at home. I've been there, done that. But you have to change your approach to life for your own sake. Use your rough patches and struggles to come out stronger and give others something to relate to.

[Richard Guimond]

for having a friend that just had a dead eye removed after fifty years of pain i feel for you
i also found a certain affinity with my own ''Book of Scars''

Life whrite itself into the flesh .....

love you text