Belittled

by Jenny Olson

Jenny Olson wants her words to make people feel and think. From human trafficking tofreedom, addiction to recovery, from abuse to redemption. She is a survivor of complex trauma; a widow making her way in a brave new world. She fought her way out of the streets of NYC to a career in corporate America and went to college, eventually earning a doctorate in Business Administration. 

An emerging poet, she writes about hard things that people have done to them. Or do tothemselves. Those things people don’t talk about, much less write about. But to those women still stuck and imprisoned in these worlds they need a voice and she intends to be that voice.

Olson has works published in LEO Literary Journal, miniMAG, 100Subtexts, Saturday Sirens Blog, Hamonic Verse Anthology, The Antiquery Magazine, and The Art of Life Magazine.  Her chapbook, The Keeping, was published by 2024 Local Gems Press.

belittled,

bewildered

didn’t know

why she let it continue

after it first started

belittled, ashamed

didn’t know

why she didn’t walk, walk

far away from him

belittled, confused

didn’t know

what made it all start

what did she say

belittled, betrayed

didn’t know

only so long a girl can

stay and no fight back

belittled, bereavement

didn’t know

how to fight back

until you died and then

empowered, emboldened

did know

how to fight now

no more belittled ever

bought some red shoes

will take her where

Everywhere

she wants to go

walk on girl!

walk on girl!