Told vs. Knowing.

                                               (for myself.)
From birth to 17
I was told every day
that I was worthless.
I knew better,
but I couldn’t tell.

I had no choice
but to take it
at face value
with the part of me
that spoke.

The other part
stayed silent.
As I grew, my thoughts
turned suicidal,
as they often still are.

The part of me
beneath my thoughts
knows better.