By: Rachel Brooks
Major: English & Secondary Education
Year: Junior
Hometown: Round Rock, TX
Look through my eyes.
Walk in my shoes.
Feel what I despise.
See what I could lose.
If I were to leave,
Would it change a thing?
There’s no one who’d see.
No happy ending to bring.
You ask me straight out if I’ll hurt myself.
I tell you straight out it’s a problem to consider.
You call your boss. You call the cops.
You ask why I’m so afraid. You ask what I’ve lost.
I look into your eyes. I hold out my shoes.
You look right back. And take them from me.
You slip them on. And at last I can breathe.
You see all my tension leave. But you fall back a bit,
And clutch at your heart. You didn’t realize at the start,
My fears are yours, and your fears are mine.
You’ve been hurt, to save me in time.
The questions you ask, the things that you learn,
You put your hand in my fire and hold still as it burns.
I weep for your pain, this wasn’t my plan.
I was the only one meant to die.
But you saw through my stupid lies.
You stood in my shoes, and looked through my eyes.
Now I’m standing here. Another before me.
It’s like a reflection. They’re the me I used to be.
I steel myself. I ask for their shoes,
I put my hand in their fire and learn what they have to lose.
It takes me right back, to that time then with you.
It hurts like hell, but this time I know what to do.
Their shoes hurt my feet. Their tale hurts my head.
But we share the pain and look to the good instead.
Hold tight to my hand,
And stay by my side.
We’ll make a plan.
Like I did one night.
This life can be hard, if your shoes are too tight.
But there’s no need to quit, we can still be alright.
You can be strong. You can be brave.
Please come along. Let me show you the way.
This path we share, it was not built by me
It was built by the one who saved me.
And the one who saved them.
And we all agree we would take it again.
I’ve been here before. I’ve been to this place. I know the map. I know the way.
We’ll get what you need. We’ll get you some help. We’ll do this together.
And if we both come back bruised, it will all be alright.
A bruise is proof that you fought tonight.