Raw

I wrote this prose/poem last Saturday, my critic said it was too raw badly written and not easily relatable.  Going through drafts I will post it.  I struggled to find an appropriate image.  If any of my followers have an inspiration for an image I would love to hear it.

Every part of my flesh is on fire today

And I felt like my skin had been dissolved

In this liquid fire of pain

Which is old trauma and memories revisited

As  you remind me

Sharing that pain with others

Can retrigger trauma

Then I was made numb to truths

That burned so deep inside

So much of my trauma lies submerged

And when triggers come the pain burns and burns

Stripping away psychic skin and flesh

Leaving my lower lip burnt and raw

The feeling of being so alone

Never mirrored

Affirmed held or seen

Stays with me deep in my soul

Like an invisible wound

Or a deep empty well of emptiness and sorrow

Once we awaken to the truth

Of what our child had to bear

There must be a turning point

Yesterday I felt I travelled back

To that underworld place

And it was hard to believe that my soul survived

Living without that psychic skin

Perhaps over the past few days

It has peeled back again

To reveal truth and feelings

I was not strong enough to feel and realise before

It felt like bathing in ice and fire

My eyes burned and my nose stung

With all the shedding

Hours spend writhing around

Trying to dislodge the splinter of pain

That is only softened by tears

And deeper recognition

Living without skin

It really hurts

Your tenderness and soothing

 Your understanding is a balm to me

A salve

It cannot take the raw pain away

But it helps me make enough sense of it

So that I can open to the flames

And allow the trauma to work its way through

Body and soul