The sound of her This poem is about growing up with my first bully being my mother, and how that kind of emotional abuse teaches you to survive by shrinking, staying quiet, and becoming useful. It traces how conditional love, body control, and gaslighting shaped the way I see myself, my worth, and my relationships. I write about learning to listen as a survival skill, becoming the emotional container for others, and carrying that pattern into friendships and love where I believed I had to earn my place. At its core, this poem is about unlearning that voice, reclaiming my body and identity, and slowly choosing to believe that my existence does not need justification.