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Child Abuse

Child Abuse

broken bottles

in the ditch

locked my door

went under cover

wished for

anywhere

traveled

book to book

nobody knew

what I really went through

8 to 18

all they saw …

Rah, Rah, Rah

“Most Likely

To Succeed …”

they never saw

a child

always afraid

of the drink

of dark

the girl who

never wanted to

go home

used to say

i got away

told myself

“but they never hurt me …”

only later

would I realize

when they hurt each other

they were hurting me

only later

would I realize

each time they tried

to kill each other

they were killing me

only later

would I realize

the abuse

of sWords

cut the core

of who you are

or ever hope to be

only later

would I realize

a drunk

has no memory

no remorse

not even to this day

only later

would I realize

how deep

the damage …

how torn

the trust …

only later

would I realize

you can only

run so far

only later

would I realize

certain things

only God

can forgive …

(took me 40 years to realize)

TL

Published inTamiko Lowery