Your feelings matter.
A poem about boundaries set, followed by the toxic threat.
Hi, someone who went through a lot! It’s not every day you speak your truth, And try to set a boundary to protect you. Regardless, you finally gather your strength, Speak your truth and let a loved one know That they are deeply, deeply hurting you.
Maybe they didn’t mean it, But they’ve caused you pain. And it should be acknowledged, So you finally break that chain And accept that your feelings matter. Yet, you can’t help but feel uncomfortable.
Finally, you sit down to talk, But then they say, “Don’t go down that road.” Pointing out how you’re “exaggerating” Because they were just “joking.” And now, “you’re making a big deal out of nothing.”
You know they weren’t just “joking.” You make a joke once or twice, Not all the damn time. You know you’re not exaggerating. And as they react this unexpectedly, You can’t help but feel like you’re debating.
They blame you for trying to set a boundary. They come after you for speaking your truth. “Why do you always feel like this?” they ask. Now, you can’t help but regret this encounter. Yet deep down, you know your feelings matter. But they respond with, “You‘re’ being crazy.”
You can’t help but blame yourself, “Why did I bring this up?” You can’t help but wonder, “Why did I even speak up?” But deep down, you know you had to Because you know now your feelings matter.
So, they conclude on their own That it’s all because of your trauma. And they bring up all the personal things You ever told them like it’s nothing. You think to yourself, are they trying to hurt me? Why won’t they just respect my boundary?
This is called gaslighting, my friend. If someone goes to all this length Only to avoid acknowledging your pain, Only to not apologize and validate your feelings, They are not worth your time. Because now you know your feelings matter.
You are a person.
You are worthy of love.
You are worthy of care.
Let them be and leave them free.
Did this resonate with you? Consider supporting me if you have the means. Regardless, I hope you continue to prioritize your mental health and do what you love -♡-
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