Today is a bad day for me. Eleven years ago, today, I was in a hospital room recovering, if you can call it that, from a death of sorts. I was very brutally raped, starting later the evening before, carrying on into the morning. Part of me died then. This shell remains, trying daily to regain life, sometimes succeeding.
I want poems from survivors of rape, sexual abuse, or domestic assault. I want to see the words of those who know my hell best. Those who have seen it, been there, tasted it, and know...I am not insane.
I want poems from survivors loved ones. Who survived along side them. From those who helped pick up the shattered remnants of someone's soul, and helped piece it back together with them.
I want consoling words from those who work in counseling, or have known someone whom they helped through this. I want salve for the wounds of too many women and children who have survived, and continue to find ways to live after these deaths.
I warn you now, I will be quick to disqualify poems that belittle this pain, that are too graphic, or misused. If it does NOT deal with rape, assault, or domestic abuse DO NOT ENTER IT!! I will remove it. Do not submit prewrites just to win a trophy. This contest is for healing.
IF you enter a prewrite you MUST also enter a new poem. That's it.PLEASE list names of both poems in authors comments.
Mark your entries in APPROPRIATE categories.
Here are some quotes and poems to inspire you. Also a song by the wonderful Tori Amos, who is a rape survivor herself, and is involved with RAINN. The video link will be below.
Best of luck. Thank you all. And to those who are survivors remember that today, always, is one more day you lived after dieing.
ere is a link to a poem about my rape, and my child that resulted from it.
http://allpoetry.com/poem/831849
give me life, give me pain, give me myself again
with your pretty wing; a wing can cover all sorts of things.
Me and A Gun has been my flashlight; the thing has taken me by the hand
and led me down a very, very long recovery path.
I found a way to dance with sorrow.
so I wore a slinky red thing, does that mean I should spread for you?
sometimes I hear my voice and it's been here, silent all these years
I've got my rape hat on honey but I always could accessorize.
Though I can't change what happened, I can choose how to react. And I don't want to
spend the rest of my life being bitter and locked up. Past the mission/I smell the roses
You don't need my voice, girl, you have your own
Somebody will come backstage and go, 'You saved me.'
And I will have to say, 'Stop right there. You saved yourself.'
-Tori Amos
Do not go gentle into that good night . . . Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
-Dylan Thomas
In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer
-Albert Camus
Would you understand me? Would you try?
Peace in the struggle to find peace; comfort on the way to comfort
who will bring you back from where there is no return?
If I shed a tear I won't cage it; I won't fear love. If I feel a rage I won't deny it; I won't fear love
-Sarah McLachlan
Every time I say something they find hard to hear, they chalk it up to my anger, and never to their own fear.
-Ani DiFranco
Pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding
-Kahlil Gibran
but where there's a monser there's a miracle
-odgen nash
If you're going through hell, keep going.
-Winston Churchill
i found god in myself
& i loved her
i loved her fiercely
-Ntozake Shange
You may trod me
in the very dirt
But still,
like dust,
I'll rise.
-Maya Angelou
Me and a Gun
By: Tori Amos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKRU4Nvzov4
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on November 9, 2008
- Rewards: Gold: 1000, Silver: 500, Bronze: 250, Honorable mention: 6 people
- Final notes: Thank you to everyone who took the time to pen their emotions and go deep,
congrats to the winners.
Contest Winners
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I'm filth, no other word to describe it.
These days are just to small• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
by Idle Mind Wondering 26 lines, 3 comments, on Sep 30 10:13 PM 2008. In Abuse, Sad, Pain
Honorable mention
• Viewed by judge. [remove] -
as the capillaries in your eyes
burst into rouge spider webs• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
Gold trophy winner
Silver trophy winner
Bronze trophy winner
Entries [44]
1 - 44 of 44
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I am still here.
Tho you tried your best.• Viewed by judge. Prewrite -
by Dangerousparable 37 lines, 6 comments, on Sep 27 11:30 PM 2008. In Abuse, Adult, Contemporary, Dark, Life, Sad, Other, Personal., for people who want t• Viewed by judge. Prewrite
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What words in the dictionary can define?
Vocabulary is only a disguise sealed lips wear all the timeby imperfectperfection 112 lines, 4 comments, on Sep 29 8:46 PM 2008. In Pain, Personal, Dark, Society, My thoughts, Life, Numbness• Viewed by judge. -
I wake up
to the screams of an innocent childby LadyMidnight07 22 lines, 1 comment, on Oct 4 9:56 PM 2008. In Pain• Viewed by judge. -
by Idle Mind Wondering 40 lines, 14 comments, on May 29 6:00 PM 2008• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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It all started, with an innocent glance,
but I was too young to even realize this.by Velvet Rose Petals 38 lines, 5 comments, on Sep 30 12:00 AM 2008. In Abuse, Angst, Angry, Self, Lost in thought, My own style• Commented on by judge. -
To live but feel no recent day
To hide the feelings far awayby exenia 14 lines, 1 comment, on Sep 30 5:32 AM 2008• Viewed by judge. -
I was sixteen years, in 1990,
the world was at my feet...• Viewed by judge. Prewrite -
Eighteen years have come and gone,
since a special part of me died.by Froggy-Girl 58 lines, 4 comments, on Sep 30 12:19 PM 2008• Viewed by judge. -
• Viewed by judge.
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by Raven Blackwater 36 lines, 1 comment, on Sep 30 2:04 PM 2008. In personal, pain, hurt, betrayal, rape, sexual assault, thoughts, adult, life• Viewed by judge.
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As the tainted memories play in my head,
Staring at the knife.by Hells Bells 28 lines, 1 comment, on Oct 11 10:18 PM 2008• Viewed by judge. -
Chrissy only seven,
Hurting from pain,by HereComesTheSun 20 lines, 5 comments, on Sep 29 5:14 PM 2008• Viewed by judge. Prewrite
Add a comment
Comments
1 - 15 of 15
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all of my experiences with this is past and in PW. writing new would only open up wounds. good luck though
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I entered "Disgusting Lust"
I'm not expecting to win, i just felt i'd enter it and it would give you some help to get your mind off your situation. I would write a new one but it's a subject i don't like to give much thought, i hope things work out for you and good luck to anyone that enters.
your not alone hun *hugs* -
wow, I will have to enter this. I suffered with abuse and rape since i was 3 months old to when i was 14, and i have been on and off beat and raped from relationships and my family ever since. So I feel your pain I really do. the memories never really do fade away
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I am so sorry for your pain, I know the feeling of sexual abuse as I was abused from age 9 to 10, and hid it for 30 years, which then came out very abruptly and sent me straight into therapy for 6 weeks, so I know your pain well, and also know it's very hard to trust anyone fully again, and even more so have confidence in yourself, as I suffered badly and still do, my thoughts and prayers are with you, for as a survivor I know how you feel, Josie
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Once you faced Hell you wont fear death.
Stay strong.
Passionspromise -
I was lucky to stay alive and safe after the assault of a maniac. I was 10 and only my intuition helped me to escape. But even this case provoked only the smallest part of what you should have been keeping in you all these years. You ARE very strong, not only because you've been trying to cope with this hell, but because you share your pain. So many people don't...
Though words are only words, but I do wish you good luck and belief in yourself. I dare say you need it as noone else.
"Everything, failing to kill us, makes us stronger"
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how many can we post?
just to share..not bothered in winning, of course would be nice but this is for healing and supporting each other xx -
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A maximum of two. If a prewrite, then one must be fresh, and add names of both poems in authors comments on each so I know you did so since the contest is anonymous. Thanks!!!
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This is a very series subject and needs to be shared and talked about. This is a good contest for doing this.
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this is going to be a heartbreaking contest to read ... i have experiences in this topic, but ones which are unlike most others here, i would imagine, however, i will put forward my works also for your perusal
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It's not rape
how am i supposed to know you don't lke surprises ?
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try me...that's all!
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try me...that's all!
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i entered your contest.not my best poem,but its true,and real and i wanted to write something for you,for this contest.im glad you posted it,but im sorry we live in a world that a contest such as this exists.its sad
anyway hope you like my entry,it was hard to write
btw its called 'Stephen' for now until i think of a better title
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Little Mother
I WAS abused, 6 brothers and sisters, no mother, I was the oldest girl...my dad.. enough said... I cared for my family as long as I could, (and threatened my DAD with the LAW) but after 9 years,
I escaped,to be beaten up by 2 husbands, and to lose two of my lovers after,. (They Died)... I'm cold, and I'm lost... ENOUGH SAID...
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