You Believe

You believe it will stop
never happen again
you believe it is somehow
your fault,yet you just can't
figure out exactly why

you believe it is just
a type of temporary insanity
that will soon pass
a bad memory that will fade like dust

you believe you should stay
for the children,for yourself,
for someone else
for all the reasons you can
come up with to justify
your reality

you believe
it's best not to make waves
that silence is golden
keep the family together
keep the secret at all cost

there was a time
when I was like you
I believed too
like so many, many others do

the bruises
the cuts
the broken bones
the shattered pieces
of lives that is touched by the hands of abuse

hard to believe
those same hands
once,long ago,brought passion
gentleness, a promise of joy
once reaching out to embrace
with respect and love
suddenly those same hands
striking out with a force that seems impossible
to live through
down,down,down again you fall
lost in a void of confusion,distrust,rage
sadness and pain
fear and uncertainty
what will each day or night bring
the all consuming ,endless nightmare
you can't seem to wake up from
you believe it will end
but hear me....it won't , I promise you
it won't
not until you can speak the words
mean the words...enough, no more
not now, not ever again
silence is not golden
abuse is not acceptable
wounds do mend but scars still remain

you believe
it will stop
well, as one who has been there
and who walked beside others
who were there,
I beg of you, trust me, hear me
abuse of any type will not suddenly stop
unless it finally destroys you
or you finally, pray God, finally
get up ,stand up,face up,wake up
and walk.


there is no excuse
for abuse.