Why?
Because around one corner is the tear-streaked face of a child who wasn't hugged enough and around the next a child who can’t cry because she was hugged way too much. And this generational abuse perpetuates itself by giving birth to a baby who will enter this world already disappointed, born without hope, born expecting nothing from life. And the tears of that child turn to dust as she grows up into the woman who can not feel because she has surrounded herself with a stony fortress, with walls so high and so deep and so wide that love and light can not penetrate. Yet, I will continue to chip away.
To teach you that hands can hurt or heal and that we all have a choice.
And you… twirl your pigtail around your index finger and say “I can’t think when I’m angry. Everything speeds up like life’s on fast forward and I get stuck in a loop. I forget what I know and I‘m so angry, so angry, so angry, so angry, so…what‘s another word for angry”
I want to tell you that another word for angry is sad. Another word for angry is lonely. Another word for angry is desperate. But like Donnie Darko’s teacher I will just write in chalk across your blackboard eyes “Cellar Door” and if you ask me why I will tell you because it sounds as beautiful as you are.
You will close your eyes and say no no no and so I will take you by the hand and lead you to the entrance of a cavern where I will shout beautiful so that the echo can wash over and over you and you will hear beautiful beautiful beautiful. Because for every time you have heard unworthy it will take a thousand “perfects” till you know the truth, till you can see you are just who you need to be and until you can love yourself the way your mother never could because her mother never did.
And that…is why.
Author notes
People often ask me why I have chosen to work with children and youth who are so damaged. Often it is like beating your head against a brick wall but this piece is about generational abuse and it has to stop somewhere. If you don't consider this a "poem" because it is in paragraph format, I write for the spoken word stage and recite these pieces and that is why I present the writing the way it would be read. Sorry the video is sideways! ( I also screwed up the last line )
A contest entry
- Unreachable Hearts [added more options!] by NotOfThisWorld.
380 points, ended December 27, 2007, 9 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Erase the Hate Stop Child Abuse January Contest: Healing the abused child by Page Shut down.
600 points, ended February 6, 2008, 6 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 22 of 22
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LOVE IT
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Great prose. I can imagine someone reading this with great passion on stage...just sounds like it would work in my head. I just joined the website so I don't know if its possible, but if you are able to add audio you should record yourself reading it and post it up here.
Edit: ha, nevermind, i totally skipped over the video when i wrote that
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Beautiful! Straight from you soul.
"until you can love yourself the way your mother never could because her mother never did."
Well spoken!!!
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I expected a poem and did not get it, but I got words straight from the heart spoken as it should be. Our children, especially the abused, either do not understand love [lack of trust] or have been smothered with fake love, which is another form of abuse preventing the soul to fly. Good luck in the work you are doing. God bless. Frans
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Thanks for the compliment but...how is this not a poem?
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I tip my hat to you. I'm sure it's an often thankless job with lots of connotations attached thanks to those in your field who may have entered into it for the wrong reasons.
You wish to heal, and to improve lives, that's as important and self-less as it gets, I hope you always keep that ideal, even if you cease being a foster parent.
I want to thank you for those who may not know how, or be able to say those words. Great declaration.
And I enjoyed the video, even if it was sideways for me. Your voice helped me feel the earnestness of your write.
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I love this one. And I can feel the emotion even more when I see you reciting it. It just makes sense, and it's very powerful.
(sorry, but I'm saving up my points, and I can only spare enough for 1 clappy, even though it deserves 3. Keep that in mind...)
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brilliant
moving and well written, well done dear poet
best wishes tony yates -
I do so agree with you in the content of this poem!
Thankyou for writing so boldy and clearly.
We must always remember that children...do breathe in
that rage...not understanding their own role model
"anger" I too have had to struggle through recognizing
feelings such as sad, lonely, confused, mistrusting...
it really helps us as former children of abuse...learn
new words for anger.
I APPLAUD YOU FOR USING YOUR VOICE TO REACH THROUGH AND
HEAL MANY HEARTS.
A Touch more poetic form would polish this to be
recognized more clearly. Perhaps now that you have
unleashed your heart and voice you can find a poetic
structure to release it into!
More poems on these feelings would be heard and appreciated by all!
ears2hearyou
Kathleen : )))
especially since statistics reveal their are MANY
and not a few who would know exactly what you are
talking about! -
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While I appreciate the time you took to leave this comment and the positive things you had to say I think we have different writing styles. I am a spoken word artist and my writing reflects my intent for my words to be heard rather than read. I also like to use current cultural references than metaphors such as the one you suggested in your message as a "beautiful angel of wind,
or a beautiful fairy -queen of the wind" to me that's rather cliche and certainly not something I would use in my writing. Thanks for reading.
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passionate
I feel and can relate to the passion of this piece. I too volunteer to help child. In my case it's children who have gone through the pains of divorce or are living in a difficult marriage. Children are my heart. I long for parents especially fathers to be involved in their children's life. -
hey a great poem and a very rewarding job you dothis poem made me cry as i also blocked a stone wall around me to afraid to speak for the fear of being hit
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Transcend All
You rock, there aren't enough people working with children! Your words spoke clearly of your WHY , I think your work is wonder. Thank you for sharing your kind heart in hopes that someone else may benifit or get it!
Namaste'
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holy cow
i love this poem holy wow. man i'm amazed. wow can you read my poem Young girl and tell me what you think. I love this poem how do you come up with ideas like this i wish i could writee as good as you. i can't view the video.
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Many blessings I send to you!
Thankyou for your gracious service to children, and the
bold and powerful voice you use to reach out with tender
arms of love.
ears2hearyou
Kathleen : )) in case you do not hear it enough?
Thankyou!
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Wow I have to tell you that no matter what form you wrote this in, this is one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. True it is about a very sad subject but it is written with so much love. You like me have seen it seems so many sides of the coin of child abuse. I too am there for many. As a matter of fact, through my 3 children now ages almost 30 (son), 28 (son) and 17 and 1/2 (daughter) I have around 300 unofficially adopted children. Since my sons were teenagers, I have been there for so many of their friends because their parents just weren't or didn't want to be. Through the years I've helped everyone of them that I could and I have also picked up many over the Internet. I think that anywhere we can reach out and touch a life or let a child know that we are there and that we care and that someone will listen we are all the better for it, it helps us as much as them. Best of luck to you in the contest and in your journey to be there for others. Be well and be blessed
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Strongly expressed. I applaud you for caring for those that few bother to take the time too.
.♥.
Thank you for your entry
Best of luck
Stay safe
~Manda
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Aowena
I will not ask if this was written from knowing how it feels But , I mean if it was or not it was very well written , I would like to say I'm glad there are kids out there being helped by you each and everyday (wheather its not Every day )
Tabatha
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I agree that it's wonderful that there are people out there parenting those who need it the most.
I would also add that all of us parents could use some help - I've been going to www.LifeSeminars.com parenting courses for 12 years and I just keep going because they are so incredible.
One of the things from that course that this poem made me think of is "feeling trees" where we write out the four major feelings (one of them being anger) as a tree trunk and then go off into branches from there - it's amazing how there are dozens and dozens of words for different types and nuances of anger (and other feelings).
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This is so sad.
Good write. -
Very well done. I'm not a fan of paragraph formatting, and should have mentioned that in the rules, but when you're trying to remember ALL the rules you have to put down, you tend it miss a few. :P It was a very good piece, and I thought it was lovely. Thanks for entering. ~Amanda~
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I write my poetry to be read aloud as I am a spoken word artist, that is why it's formatted this way.
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