Abuse Victims, The Ghetto & Trained Monkeys

This is a poem I wrote last night inspired by a friend of mine & her daughter. The daughter was a victim of an abuser but there is a ripple effect in the cycle of abuse. She wasn't the only one hurt, her family, friends, teachers, school-mates, it effects everyone. This situation has hit me very hard as well.

Abuse Victims

Mourning cries,
Unsaid goodbyes
To youthful innocence
Due to tragic circumstance.
Unshed tears
Trapped under years
Of fearful silence.
Guilt giving license
To those who do harm.
'Guised by charm
They continue,
We victims their menu.
No more!
We implore.
Face the facts
Of these brutal attacks.
Has no defence attorney
Ever been on bent knee
Imploring mercy
For his own girl or boy?
Stripped of childhood's joy.
How does one sleep at night
Attempting to give predators their right
To walk free among you & me?
Not some monster able to rehabilitate,
Not able to properly legislate
A cruel enough demise
To return the light to their victims' eyes.

-5/18/'07 Written for 'Kenzie, her family & friends

Obviously this has greatly pained my heart & well it should, It should pain every one's heart & our laws should be stricter against child predators & deal with them in a less forgiving way. I'm thinking toss them buck naked slathered in polar bear pheromones on an isolated Arctic tundra somewhere after castrating them with a rusty dull knife. Think we can get congress to pass that one? Yeah, me either. Permanent tattoo of a bulls eye target on them would be good & declare open season, that could be fun! Oh, I'd better stop before I get hate mail.

So, my daughter has decided she doesn't like us & we supposedly don't like her so she's moving out at 16. I'm sure I gave her the impression she's unloved by telling her daily "I love you, have a good day at school, good luck with (whichever sport, or school test or whatever)" I'm sure I was unsupportive by being at her beckon call for transportation, recommending her to family friends for jobs when she was looking for work, by open armed welcoming her & her friends to our home trying to engage in conversation with them before giving them their space. Yes, I'm a horrible mother. Let's not forget the step dad who has raised her the last 11 years, never referring to her as a step daughter, always as his daughter. He jokingly teased her, helped teach her things, supported her with research materials to back up her side of an on-going debate she was having with a teacher. He also has busted his butt to provide for her & the rest of the family. Her brothers who love her & play with her & help her out with things. Yeah, we are a terrible bunch! Thank God she's escaped unscathed before it was too late. Before our "ghetto, white trash house" & family could further embarrass her. Yes, thank God for that.

Today my husband & I are going out of town for a day to get our minds off things & hopefully have a bit of fun window shopping. Just in case that Power ball ticket I bought last night with the diet coke ends up paying off!! Then it will be back to our home town for an event at a local community theater & lounge featuring various restaurants' fare, music, beer & wine gardens. All this fun grown up activity I won't know how to act. I just hope I remember not to announce to the group, "Just a minute, mommy has to go potty I'll be right back, be good" !

Now that our parrot has added to his repertoire, to not just call the children's names or sound like an alarm clock but to also tell them "stop it!" "slow down!" etc. I'm thinking - who needs a human babysitter right? The darn thing even answers the phone. Of course, he is the one ringing, not the real phone & it hasn't learned how to hang up on solicitors without saying, "Love you, talk to you later, buh bye" We will have to work out those kinks I suppose. Think I can teach it how to cook? Probably not, we may have to buy a trained monkey, then I can go on permanent vacation!!!

Be Blessed Dear Readers & Have a Lovely Weekend!