In The Narcissist’s Shadow
I mistook silence for peace — until my poems began to speak.
In The Narcissist’s Shadow
I didn’t write this collection for answers. I wrote it to breathe.
For years, I tried to turn pain into silence. I stayed in a love that hollowed me out, believing his attention meant worth, that his coldness meant my failure, that if I just loved better, it might heal.
It didn’t.
So I began to write. Not to explain, but to feel. Not to scream, but to reclaim. These poems are the pieces I gathered from that quiet collapse — the moments I lost myself, the flickers where I remembered.
Why the dragonfly?
Because she begins in still, murky waters. Hidden. Quiet.
And then one day, when no one’s looking, she surfaces — slender, shining, fierce in her lightness. She sees the world clearly. She moves freely. She carries no excess but all her power.
I chose her to carry these words.
From beneath still waters,
I rose with shivering wings—
not butterfly, but dragonfly—
iridescent and unseen,
until the day I turned toward the light
and remembered I could fly.
POETIC GLIMPSES FROM THIS COLLECTION
In the Narcissist’s Shadow is more than a collection of poems — it’s a whispered witness to a journey many suffer in silence.
This body of work traces my life, its bright beginning dimmed by emotional erosion, manipulated by a love I believed was true. Through these poems, you will walk beside me — from innocence and illusion to awakening and liberation.
This isn’t just poetry.
It’s awareness disguised as verse.
Between poems, you’ll find brief truths I’ve written about narcissistic behavior — lovebombing, gaslighting, grandiosity, triangulation. These are the patterns that blurred my reflection and made me question what was real.
Naming them helped me begin again.
Maybe these names help you too.
Affirmations to Keep With You
For the days you forget who you are, let these remind you.
I am allowed to take up space.
I am not too much — I am just enough.
I am no longer waiting for crumbs.
I am worthy of love that doesn’t hurt.
I am not responsible for their healing.
I am allowed to leave what breaks me.
I am becoming who I was before they named me.
I am not broken — I am rebuilding.
I am already enough.
Recommended Reading
Dr Ramani Durvasula is a leading voice in the field of narcissistic abuse recovery. Her work offers survivors clarity, validation, and practical tools for healing. If you’ve ever felt unseen, confused, or emotionally erased in a relationship, her insights may feel like a lifeline.
It’s Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People (2024)
A compassionate guide that helps readers understand narcissistic behaviour, reclaim their truth, and begin healing through
radical acceptance.
Available on Amazon
Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship with a Narcissist (2015)
A survival manual for those navigating romantic relationships with narcissists. It offers checklists, real-life examples, and a
roadmap for deciding whether to stay or leave — and how to do either with dignity.
Available on Amazon
Don’t You Know Who I Am?: How to Stay Sane in an Era of Narcissism, Entitlement, and Incivility (2019)
A cultural wake-up call that explores how narcissistic traits have become normalised in society — and how to protect your
peace in a world that rewards toxicity.
Available on Amazon
These resources are shared with deep respect for Dr Ramani’s work and her commitment to helping survivors find their way back to themselves.
FOR YOU!
This collection holds what I couldn’t speak for years.
If you are in the midst of this kind of love, or crawling from the aftermath, I want you to know: your confusion is not weakness. Your empathy is not your failure. The story you tell yourself can change. You are still yours.
Here, the darkness is not romanticised. It’s revealed — and then released, line by line.
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