Lora Mathis:
American author and poet best known for her “short and sweet” style of poetry, often shared on social media platforms and Tumblr. She gained a significant following for her emotional, relatable, and frequently illustrated verses that explore themes of love, heartbreak, mental health, and self-discovery.
Her first book, Short and Sweet, was published in 2016 and became a bestseller, featuring her signature blend of text and simple line drawings. She has since released other collections, including The Art of Letting Go and You Are the Only One I Want.
I want to talk about what happened without mentioning how much it hurt. There has to be a way. To care for the wounds without reopening them. To name the pain without inviting it back into me.
This quote is about the desire to be able to speak about a painful experience without having to relive that pain.
The speaker seeks a way to:
– name what happened;
– no longer avoid the memory;
– treat old wounds with care;
– acknowledge pain without letting it back in;
– heal without re-traumatization.
The metaphor of “caring for wounds without reopening them” suggests that processing requires caution. You can acknowledge and care for something, but that does not mean you have to expose yourself to the same intensity of grief, fear, or pain over and over again.
In short, the quote means:
> ‘You want to be able to talk about what happened to you, without being destroyed by the memory again.’
Origin 📚:
The quote comes from the poem:
> “If There’s A Way Out I’ll Take It”
The poem became particularly well-known via Tumblr, where short poetic texts about pain, trauma, recovery, and identity were widely shared. Subsequently, the quote was more widely disseminated via social media and quote platforms.
It is listed on ‘Quote Catalog’, among others, which further increased its notoriety as a standalone quote.
A possible source citation is:
> Lora Mathis, from “If There’s A Way Out I’ll Take It”.
Author ✍️:
The author is Lora Mathis, an American writer, poet, and artist.
Her work is often linked to themes such as:
– trauma;
– mental health;
– vulnerability;
– self-care;
– recovery;
– identity;
– the search for language for painful experiences.
Lora Mathis became known primarily through her online presence and because her poetry was widely shared on platforms such as Tumblr. Her texts often have an intimate, direct style and appeal to people trying to find words for experiences that are difficult to put into words.
