"Damaged Goods"

Why does damaged have to mean bad?

You’re called ‘damaged goods’ 

As soon as you’re slightly bent out of shape

As soon as you’re not quite round or square

As soon as you get the smallest bump or scrape

From that day forward you are broken

Seen by all as ‘not quite whole’

All they see are your scars wide open

As they stare into the gaping hole

People look at you with sympathetic eyes

As though urging you to be strong

Waiting for you to drop the disguise

That they assume you’ve held for so long

The problem there is, they don’t understand

That ‘damaged goods’ is now my identity

It’s not a persona that works on command

It is my character now, it’s my serenity

Being ‘damaged’ works in my favour

Coz now I know what the world has to give

The bumps and the scrapes are now my saviour

Because to feel them means to live

Do not look at me with pain

Do not look at me with sorrow 

Do not look to cast blame

Just look forward to tomorrow

It’s not you that lives with the memories

It is I that uses them to grow

So, trust me, I use them cleverly

While the blood in my veins still flows

So please think before you call a person

Broken or damaged goods

Coz although you won’t make the pain worsen

We are never out of the woods

Every day we fight the good fight 

Between our minds and our hearts

And one day, one day we just might

Make it out of the dark