A vintage color photograph of a smiling woman wearing glasses and a pearl necklace holding a baby approximately 1 year old, set against a blurred black and white background. A poem titled "After Effect" about survival, resilience, and self-discovery is overlaid in white text.
After Effect
Despite the darkness, I am growing.
There's a place inside me knowing.
I learned from you how to survive,
But you didn't teach me how to thrive.
I learned that on my own
Long after I'd grown.
©2026 WickedLizzie
A #poem by a #survivor of #child #abuse. Photo of me at 1 year old with my foster #grandma. Still missed 38 years after her passing.
#WickedLizzie #HealingPoetry #FosterFamilies #ResiliencePoetry #SurvivorPoet #WordsThatHeal #ContemporaryPoetry #TraumaHealing #WomenWhoWrite #AfterEffect
#Poetry