I heard his voice but not with my ears
he told me to do horrible things
to myself, to my body
cut, destroy, kill
he showed up one day uninvited
somewhere deep inside my mind
and my hands,
they did what they were told
I have the scars to prove it
he told me I’m a mistake,
tried to get me to erase myself
exacerbated depression
forced me to live in darkness
with a voice that followed me for years
then one day he was gone
maybe he found a new victim
or I found the right med to kill him
every once in a while I think I hear him
I chalk it up to a migraine aura
(it’s for the best)
self-destruction
isn’t always a conscious choice
sometimes the voices within command it -
when you’re at your lowest
with no one else trying to help you
it’s difficult not to listen
(c) 2026 Beth Ember