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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UIC chapter.

This poem is written for all of the beautiful women who may have been mistreated in some way or another in a relationship, causing them to potentially believe that they could never be loved again. It is written for survivors of traumatic incidences who may be afraid to let their hearts free once again.

Monarch butterfly resting on purple flower
Photo by Justin DoCanto from Unsplash

The Butterfly Effect

Tell me, my child, how far have you come?

He has taken all that you have given, left you with nothing but a crumb

You have shown him light and given him love

But the shadows he casts fit him more like a glove

You scream for mercy into the dark

As cold hands clench over another bruised mark

¨How did I get here?¨ you silently wonder

While your tears rain down like lightning and thunder

There was a time you were strong, your torch burned bright for so long

Until his winds blew along, doing you wrong

You thought you sufficed, using him as a floating device

Quietly drowning, without thinking twice

And now that it’s over, the pain has passed

Scars have healed and faded at last

Yet the inescapable memories will affect you endlessly

Causing damage with the next person, firing bullets recklessly

Like the butterfly effect, one event causes another

Shielding yourself from the warm colors of any other

The feathers of your dream catcher have seen too much

While night terrors force you to fear a single touch

You are afraid to love again

As if the fate of your future is written in stone

But the beauty in life is hard for you to see

Not every man is who you thought they would be

The image of a loathsome man holding you down

Will be replaced with someone to pick up your crown

He will gather his tools and run the mile

To turn your sorrows into a smile

Two hearts intertwine, as the sun skips across your skin like blush wine

Within a matter of time, fear and agony will resign

So tell me, my child, how far have you come?

Your heart that once ached now beats like a drum.

Christina is a Professional Writing major, minoring in Spanish, at University of Illinois at Chicago. She is the Senior Editor and President for Her Campus Media, following her passions to one day become an editor as a career.