At 7 Years Old

 

 

At 7 Years Old

I was beaten till I shed blood

At 7 Years Old

I was beaten till I shed no tears

At 7 Years Old

I was told to pray to God

At 7 Years Old

I was beaten while praying to God

At 7 Years Old

I learned not to cry

At 7 Years Old

I learned to not give a s**t why

At 7 Years Old

I was beaten cold

At 7 Years Old

I learned to keep it all in

At 7 Years Old

I learned to cry from within

At 7 Years Old

I hated myself

At 7 Years Old

I wanted to kill myself

At 7 Years Old

I became numb

At 7 Years Old

I thought I was dumb

At 7 Years Old

I thought everything I did was wrong

 

Just trying to read I got beat

Just trying to pray I got beat

 

At 17 Years Old

I was wild

At 17 Years Old

I did not give a f**k

At 17 Years Old

All I did was f**k

At 17 Years Old

I didn't know right from wrong

At 17 Years Old

I didnt care right from wrong

At 17 Years Old

I became numb to pain

At 17 Years Old

I started to inflict pain

At 17 Years Old

I started it all again

At 17 Years Old

I needed to restrain

At 17 Years Old

I didn't know who to blame

At 17 Years Old

I was ashamed

At 17 Years Old

I thought I was a shame

At 17 Years Old

I tried to change

At 17 Years Old

I hated even my own name

 

But why is the pain still there?

Why isn't my life fair?

 

At 27 Years Old

I still feel the same

At 27 Years Old

I still carry the pain

At 27 Years Old

I'm trying to understand why

At 27 Years Old

I still wanted to die

At 27 Years Old

I'm wondering am I sane?

At 27 Years Old

Am I going insane?

At 27 Years Old

I found out that I did nothing wrong

At 27 Years Old

I didn't speak for so long

At 27 Years Old

I found out that it wasn't my fault

At 27 Years Old

I found out that it was "HE" who was insane

At 27 Years Old

I am making a stand

At 27 Years Old

I know I would be a better man

 

Than "HE" who laid a hand

on a poor 7 year old boy

Reviews

[Stacy A. Foster]

So true, and glad there's a follow-up with a realization in this. Adults can influence the young in many ways, and not all of them are good. Luckily some of us realize who the ones are who were really wrong. I like the repetition in this which helps get the point across (from child to adult). The sad thing is that this is probably true for thousands...

At 27 Years Old
I found out that it wasn't my fault
At 27 Years Old
I found out that it was "HE" who was insane
At 27 Years Old
I am making a stand
At 27 Years Old
I know I would be a better man

Cheers for this,
Stacy

[Le' Pugh']

Putting the past behind ain't always easy, but it's sometimes necessary. I had to leave a lot of stuff to learn to walk straight.
My kids would have been the ones to pay if I didn't.

Simply stated. Powerfully said.

Thanks for this one...

Bear

[Valorie J. Shearer]

I feel your pain and it takes alot of courage to write about such hell! I find it very healing to write it out, and then read it aloud. Allow myself to "feel" all of that which keeps you in bondage for too long! This journey is part of a healing process, and it becomes a little easier each day to realize that "we" were victimized! "BREAK THE CHAIN!" Become a better man in spite of this brutality that you endured! Take care~~~

[MYBALLS]

a sad piece. heartwrenching

[Kathy07]

Tragic! Well described! The reader feels the PAIN, PRISON, and CONFUSION with you. TIME won't heal all the wounds and scars, but it does help. Forgiveness plays a huge part! Take Care!

[Gandré]

dear Daniel, I know I know. This had to be written. Great job, very touching. Many can project this, I am sure. You wrote it for the community. hug.

[Blackbirdsong]

This is powerful, honest and raw and I would expect nothing than this kind of in your face writing from you, and you definitely didn't disappoint. It's rare to read a poem of this sort written from a male point of view, and for me, that just made it all the more powerful and painful to read. So often men "keep it all in." So I want to truly thank you for not doing that here. Sounds like you're on the road to healing. I'm there too myself. It's a long walk, but it's worth every step.

take care :)

[Ice Queen of the Vampir..]

Oh my. Gosh....I'm having a little trouble finding words right now. This is a very, very powerful piece.

*hugs*
Heather

[PoeticAngel]

the concept behind these words, the pain behind the words and all that you are trying to come to terms with...all these things I feel when reading this piece. I tried to get behind the repetition of the lines "when I was....." but just couldn't. It began to feel like a therapy write more than like a poem.

[Fran Marie]

This is oh so painful to read~ Abuse is a terrible thing to be sure~
especially when it's done to children~Well expressed write~Fran

[Valentine]

When a person that has been abused like this..either child or wife..the best therapy is to get it outside of yourself so it doesn't fester and make you into the same type person that hurt you..You have done this with your poem..Next is not trying to understand why,,but for your soul's sake...forgive the abuser, inside of your heart..I forgive my ex for the beating that left me with neurocardiogenicsyncope and a ten year history of seizures..Jesus forgives and we have to also to get into Heaven..You do not have to like them or love them..but for your own sake..forgive them..God bless..Valentine