A Letter to my Friend that has Self-Harmed

Dearest friend of mine,

You have found your body so loathable, your soul so dampened and numb, and the fire in your belly extinguished

to ashes. You think your very being is dirty, unworthy, a useless arrangement of matter and energy. But then tell me, what is the purpose of a star, other than to allow us to gaze in amazement at its pure existence? Dearest friend of mine, I gaze at you, and I am amazed at your pure, beautiful, random, lovable, eloquent, awe inspiring brand of existing. The blood running through your veins and the skin encompassing it is only your carrying case. Inside is your melodic laughter. Inside is how you feel when you listen to your favorite band. Inside is the love that radiates from your very core into the very corners of our unknown universe. Ripping into your carrying case will not set your soul free. And when I see rain drops spilling from your eyes and I hold your hand, really I'm trying to embrace a tangible piece of your hurting spirit. Because the skin on your body that this world has conditioned you into hating is only your carrying case. And no amounts of slits or tears or scratches on your treasure chest will ever allow what’s inside to escape.

With all my love,

j.a.

Author's Note

Constructive criticism and any other comments are appreciated!

Reviews

[Jamie]

This is brilliant I think we have all been in this situation trying to help a friend, Thank you for sharing :)

[Neo]

This really moved me, since I have a close friend who struggles with self-harm. Thank you so much for sharing.