I Am A Survivor Poem by Claudia Krizay

A fence was built before me-
Its gate was locked- I never had the key to that lock-
When I tried to climb that fence-I fell to the ground.
A road was paved for me to follow, however
I never knew its destination.
Rain filled a hollow crater, forming a lake
I dared not step into it, as a sign nearby read
“Don’t go in the water.”
This world was built for me to live in- although
Somehow I was always a foreigner-alive only inside the world of my dreams.
Yesterday I built my own fence and for the moment
Left its gate unlocked.
I paved my own road, which leads to places
I have always wanted to see.
A pond nearby is crystal clear, so clear I can see my reflection,
And on this day, I have liked what I see.
I can swim across that clean and clear pond,
And I walk through the gate; I lock it behind me,
To travel down that newly paved road
That leads to my own small world- that land of paradise,
That place where I feel at home after many years of
Being trapped inside places of misfortune and
I am proud to wear the key to that lock on a chain about my neck-
The people who tried so hard to contain me and
Mold into someone I could never be, are dead and gone forever-
As loving as these people could be we are always at war,
As if I were being controlled and manipulated
Day and night for countless years.
As I walk down that road paved for me alone-
I fondle the key to that lock about my neck and burst into song-
Alone, but content and satisfied to have found myself,
Rising to a new but welcome moment of pride-because
I have found myself in control of my own destiny-
I am a survivor in a place I have created myself and for myself alone-