Shedding of the Old Layers

I am not going back to that girl I once was
Because I have shed that layer like dry skin.
I do not want to go back to when those claws
Would sink into my shell of a person. A thin
Smile because I was that close to falling apart.
I stood on trial for crimes I did not commit.
It taught me how to be careful and smart
About the people I kept around me. A big hit
To my heart, but I did survive and bounced
Back stronger than I was before. It has shaken
Something deep within and has announced
My final destination of home. It will awaken
My fiery passion and place of belonging in this
Big world. That timid or shy version of myself
Became a defiant woman after poison tried to kiss
And transform me. I was reaching for the higher shelf.