From the Collection – In The Narcissist’s Shadow
She doesn’t plead innocence. She pleads no regrets.
This poem unfolds like a quiet reckoning — a woman reflecting on choices made in love, even when love turned cold. The tragedy lies not in weakness, but in strength misused: her commitment, her vows, her belief that love could heal what was never acknowledged. Gaslighting is the undercurrent here — not overt manipulation, but the slow erosion of truth until devotion becomes self-erasure.
I have no regrets,
not one to speak.
For every choice was mine—
each path I claimed.
I fell for you,
and now it’s mine to seek
a way to mend the cracks
that time made mine.
I wear the weight of vows
I chose to say,
believing love could
guide me on the way.
I picked the dress,
the flowers, wrote the vows.
With every breath,
I dreamt of what we’d be.
Through joy and doubt,
I stood through highs and lows—
a whispered hope
you’d turn your eyes to me.
I built the bridge,
I walked that aisle with pride—
and now, it’s me
who stays here by your side.
I’ll face the storm
that rages in your mind—
the cruel remarks,
the cold, dismissive stares.
I’ll patch the wounds
and say I’m doing fine,
for this, my heart,
I gave you unawares.
I chose this road,
I’ll bear its heavy cost—
for love, I thought,
was never counted lost.
I will not blame the world
for what I chose.
It’s me who tied the knot,
who sealed this fate.
I planted seeds,
so now I’ll tend the rows,
despite the thorns
that leave me worn and bruised.
Though hurt, I stay,
still reaching for the sun—
a vow once made—
and I, the foolish one.
Narcissistic Trait Reflection
Gas Lighting
Trait Insight:
Gaslighting isn’t always loud — sometimes, it arrives in sighs, in silences, in rewritten yesterdays. It’s a method of control where the survivor begins to doubt the clarity of their own memories, feelings, and voice. Over time, reality bends to the abuser’s version. What remains is a survivor clinging to their integrity, even as they question it.
Awareness Reminder:
You don’t have to prove your truth to someone determined to erase it. Clarity isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s what steadies your voice, even when no one else believes it.
Poetic Reflection:
“Did that happen?” you question with glee,
Your twisted tales ensnare me.
In shadows dark, my mind’s a maze,
Your lies entwined in a smoky haze.
Your games, they made my world obscure,
In your cruel words, I lost what once was sure.
Journal Prompt
Think back to a moment when you second-guessed your memory or intuition. What was said — or left unsaid — that made you doubt yourself?
Write a letter to that past version of you, not to fix her, but to remind her she was right to feel what she felt.
*** You may journal in the Comments Section or keep your notes personal, but do take this chance to scribble a tiny bit of your pain away and open a window to healing.
