Such sadness at knowing it's too late,
Cannot go back and make changes.
Children all grown now into
Reflections of their Father.
Father, such a holy word,
Signifies love and goodness.
Nothing could be more untrue.
This Father unkind and unloving.
Abusive, unloving, uncaring
Bi-polar, refusing treatment.
Angry, thoughtless, self-absorbed
Hostile, bad tempered, austere.
Why didn't she leave him?
Why did she stay and suffer
and allow her children
to become faint reflections of "him".
Regret is such a sad emotion.
It is knowing there is nothing
that can be done now to correct
the harm done long ago.
A contest entry
- Contest: Child Abuse Prevention - June by Page Shut down.
600 points, ended July 1, 2008, 14 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Get The Gold for a pre-write by piccola.
300 points, ended June 3, 2008, 43 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
OPTION EIGHT: (ONLY option for a pre-write)
Comments
1 - 24 of 24
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THE LORD FORGIVES US ALL, WE ONLY NEED TO LEARN TO FORGIVE OURSELF. THE PAST IS GONE, WE MUST LIVE FOR TODAY AND BE PROUD OF WHAT WE DO FROM THIS DAY FORWARD. MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND GIVE YOU GUIDANCE IN YOUR PROCESS OF HEALING.
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good write......something lots of people can relate with....like a friend of mine her ex accused her of kidnapping ...he fits into your poem well......good job
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wow very nice work this piece really touched my heart keep it up. the father should regret for sure you should not regret a thing.
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Moving Words
Your poem tells a sad story indeed. It started me thinking about how I feel about regrets and I hope you don’t mind me writing what came into my mind.
I have wondered before about the purpose of regret. I have concluded, at least for now, it can be a positive or a negative mental process. To dwell or ruminate on the past, after a while often causes me to live in gloom and this takes away my full enjoyment of my now life; after all, only the present moment happens outside my mind as my past and future do not. However, a measure of regret and having the wonderful capacity to feel this emotion is, for me, very informative. Overall, my learning from the regret experience provides opportunities that keep me safe i.e. from repeating a damaging choice and perhaps be in a position to share my experiences with others in a helpful way. Moreover, for me, regrets are the results of life choices I make and I know to feel ok again I have to accept the responsibility for them. One of the hardest things for me is to listen to my mother talk about all her regrets (and she pours them out)…it rips my heart out at times. My past cannot be changed but how I regard it and allow it to still affect me now will affect my emotional well-being. How I respond to the choices others make is down to me and my ability to accept my feelings through regret is for me, at any rate, a key influence on my ability to live ok in the present.
Thank you for sharing such a moving poem.
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Showing Support
Dear Friend...not being able to forgive oneself is hard to do...Many of us can identify with you, and the If Only's...
I stand with you there, and say please be merciful on yourself. For we all need to be..Bless you for writing.. -
Yes, one always wonders why they don;t leave. Love, that feeling, that hope that they can change someone else, make a difference in their lives. It's always there - yet oft times in the end nothing has changed, and other lives have been ruined because of this inability to vacate. Those that stay enable the abuser to continue - liked the way you expressed these sentiments in this poem - bi-polar, very tough disease to go with untreated - hell for all concerned.
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So so soul searchingly good, The picture you paint in this desolate little piece, is so true to life, the questions it asks have been frozen on victims lips for deccades,
Why did she stay and suffer
And allow her children to become faint reflections of him
These lines breath life into an amazing piece of poetry, seriously nice write
Thanks for sharing
littlefishone
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Yeah sad but true... nice write here about the truth..
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It's sad but true. But eh, I hear you on this. My father disowned me at 12, and well, I'm not mentioning the other. This is a beautiful poem, it's deep. Abuse is a touchy subject for me, but this is great.
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deep write of your inner feelings, that life cannot be reversed and played again. It is important, to remember that word, for many times we are unable to change or go back to make a wrong right, or perhaps someone has mistreated us, and the scars, though mental, remain a lifetime. I am sorry for your pain and wish you God`s blessing to move ahead and enjoy each passing day.
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Awesome and Thought provoking!
How this is so strangely familiar to some of us.. and regrets that go along with the agonies felt by family members who live with this heart wrenching problem..Only those who live through this environment really know all the repercussions of such an extremely difficult personality to live with...A gold for you is most deserving...Bravo!
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Wow.
I am honestly speechless reading this as I have witnessed this through my own family and it is hard and confusing and hard for all sides of it.
Well expressed.
Congratulations for the Gold this won
♥
Thank you for your entry in Child Abuse Prevention Contest & Best of luck
Stay safe
~Manda
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Thanks so much for your lovely comment.
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Nothing could be more untrue.
This Father unkind and unloving.
Abusive, unloving, uncaring
Bi-polar, refusing treatment.
Angry, thoughtless, self-absorbed
Hostile, bad tempered, austere.
Why didn't she leave him?
Why did she stay and suffer
and allow her children
to become faint reflections of "him".
Regret is such a sad emotion.
It is knowing there is nothing
that can be done now to correct
the harm done long ago.I can relate to your poem its just so true wonderful good luck in the contest and congratulations on your well deserved shiny
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Just want to thank you for your wonderful comment. Take care.
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i have really nothing negative to say, but i do know what this feels like good luck in the contest
Electra~ -
this leaves me breathless and sad...wonderful job.
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Thanks for reading and for the Gold shiny thingie. LOL
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Beautiful write! I loved the imagery and flow that was provided in this piece! It gave the poem more emphasis and meaning. I especially liked the ending the most! It really sealed the deal! Good job and thanks for entering!
+ Jackie -
My
The sadness and anguish in this write. The self doubt and willingness to blame oneself. But life is not always fair. write on dear poet and my happiness bless you
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Oh, this just makes me feel a million different emotions as I read it. Such a sadness is embedded within this poem of true life experiences. Yet regret is almost a worthless emotion for we cannot rewind the hours of time. We can only live from this point forward. And that is what we must do.
You have done an excellent job of expression within this poem. It is one of the best you have ever written. Thanks for sharing this with us all.
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so sad....
Your words express such terrible sadness. It is a big regret when you realize the children suffered from having a father that was unable to show and give them what they needed to thrive.
Also, the wife is denied the love and life that she deserved.
Great write my friend!
Jeannette 
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that cool.
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"Regret is such a sad emotion.
It is knowing there is nothing
that can be done now to correct
the harm done long ago."
This is very sad. But we can't change the past and the future has yet to happen... all we can do is live for today. Well written work!
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