Jr's. room was in the basement,1
fearful ears would listen for the footsteps.2
The footsteps of a drunken3
madman that was Jr's. father.4
What was cause of the impending beating?5
Who the fuck knows,could be anything.6
Burping without saying "Excuse me",10 minutes7
late without calling,bringing a friend home8
without asking,shit it could be anything.9
The one thing that Jr. did know,10
was that the beating was coming.11
The last time this happened Jr.12
missed three days of school because of13
the bruises and scabs.14
Every night Jr. prayed to God to15
calm the fears,change the father,16
and relieve the pain.17
Relief never came,but the beatings did.18
Jr. grew into a man, didn't drink,didn't19
hit the children.20
And the kids love daddy,heart and soul.21
Author notes
I still feel uncomfortable think about this stuff,even though it happened many years ago.
What did you think? Please comment!
Comments
1 - 25 of 25
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You are a true survior for breaking the cycle not just living through it.No amount of words can heal the pain but just know in your heart that there are those who thank you for being a good man.You are on in a million!
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Wonderful poem. Brutally honest, and not holding any punches back. (No pun intended.) Beautifully stated, and gets the point across and expresses deep emotion.
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it's sad to think that some kids have terrible childhoods; but its true they usually end up being great parents
wonderful piece
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well said
This is one problem in the world that I can gladly say I missed out on. Got enough later in life with an abusive wife. (No longer an issue)
Came your way via Mary6.
thanks,
John -
This is beautifull write even it is sad in nature..i can relate to this piece in different level..you made the reader feel your pain ..it is so good that you getting out your emotions..the sadness ..hope u are much better now even the bad memories as the good ones noone can take them away from you.. Awesome Job!
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emotional
I applaud you! Being brutally open and brutally honest helps to let go of the brutal beast. Sometimes it takes brutal language to open the eyes of others to the brutality that exists. Why sugar coat what needs to be said, to soften it to the ears of other's? It wasn't sugar coated when we were on the recieving end of a tongue that cut your soul like a butcher knife slicing butter!The blows were not handed out with fluffy clouds! Should we wear makeup to cover the bruises and the scars so that it would be easier to look at us? You see, we come from a time when there was no one to save us. Not our relatives, not our teachers, not the policeman, not the doctors, not even a stranger. There were no shelters to go to. Just our basement stairs. Until one day, they discovered our hiding place. And how any of us survived and able to break this circle is truly God's work. What I often wonder is just how many of us didn't. I truly empathize when it comes to writing down experiences such as this. You are a brave man, you can write it down and are able share it. My writings are still locked away under the floor board. We can discuss the complexities of abuse till the end of dawn and still only touch the tip of the iceberg. The point is that a vicious (and I use that word in every possible context that it could be used) circle has been broken. ~Michelle~ -
Thank you for the nice comment,and I am so sorry if I offended you with the language,I very,very rarely swear in my writing,but this was such a painful write for me,I felt the swearing fit because of the intensity I felt,then,and now when I wrote it.Other words would have filled in the same on the surface,but would not have covered the anger I felt inside like the swear words did....but I truly did not wish to offend anyone,that was never my intention!
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What a man , wonderful tribute. Sad to say society accepted the brutality that some children went through in those days .Now days if it happens it is hidden or delt with . Well done great write
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realistic, straight to the point, full of feelings, done a good job. but i would prefer u would substitute the foul language with some meaningful synonyms.
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A touching and deep poetic story. Great writing, because the real pain and fear were there from the start.
Great lines:
"Every night Jr. prayed to God to
calm the fears,change the father,
and relieve the pain"
Utter loneliness and the feeling of being abandoned on all levels...terrible!
Unfortunately the 'basement' of most great art (and wisdom) is filled with pain of all kinds...
Cheers! -
Much belated though sincere love to the Jr. of long ago, alone and seemingly unheard. To the Jr. of today for not duplicating those actions, I applaud you. May all the embraces of your children and their loving not fearful eyes, be sufficient to heal the long ago Jr.
Well done.
tecohe -
I wish it was as easy as that. Unfortunatly life is not that simple. I do feel for your pain. This was a very interesting read. Thank you for sharing.
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I'm glad the ending was a happy one. It didn't need to ryhme or anything it was still a very eye-opening piece. Thanks for sharing your experience with us other poets.
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tom, this one shook me and it was a surprise to see as i know that you are closed about all you have been through. it is good to see you get some of it out. you wrote it in third person which tells me you distanced yourself from it in order to 'see' it and purge it. it seems a healthy thing. yes, details were few but for you to express this at all is amazing. your ending made me want to hug you, it is so, so true. your kids are so lucky to have such a kind, gentle father and i can attest to how wonderful of a parent you are. this poem, stunning and shocking, made me love you even more. my dearest friend! this poem is gold in my book.
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You make me smile often, friend, and now you have saddned me with your words. In some ways, although I never went through this situation, I can relate on a different level. My shoulders tensed as I read this. You have no idea how blessed you are to have overcome the cyclical nature of such things.
~Janet -
Dearest Terry, your comment was far and away the greatest compliment have ever recieved on any of my writings...it is also the only one that has brought me... to tears.Children today are so much more protected by various agencies,than were the children of generations past...not to say that abuse is a thing of the past,because of course it is not,Which makes it all the sadder really,knowing there is help out there,but it still does not reach so many of todays children....
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Well done
You are definately an overcomer, and I understand every word you wrote. (mine wasnt a drunk) You have broken what I call a generational curse..God bless you for who you are now to your own children..You have changed history by being you
gbu
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tragic
They say kids are resilient. They say kids adapt. They say a lot of foolish things like Kids forget. Obviously not. I could relate to this because on a lesser scale--because I was such a GOOD little girl don'tchaknow,-- I also got my share of that. Whipping, the kind that stings cold before it burns and continues to burn as the welts rise, and are still there red and prickly next morning, where they do not show. My mother had it down to a science. This was in the early thirties --1930's I mean, before there were any laws to prevent child abuse as there are now. I learned very early to make no sound, for if I did, I got more. And soon, there were no tears either. In fact I had no tears, could not cry at all, for anything. My mother had no idea what it can do to a sensitive child, but my father, my safe harbour after storms, knew, and he kept it from being brutal. When he died suddenly of a massive stroke in 1964, was the first time I had cried since I was a baby, silently still, but it would not stop. Even now, forty years later, tears are there, just waiting for an excuse, years of tears that could not come.
Do I understand this poem-story? Yes, too well. I also broke the chain with my four (youngest now 45). And now that some would consider me old, I am blessed with sons who watch out for me every day, and a daughter who is a joy.
Although extreme, this story was not as hard to read as it might have been, because so much was left out--the betrayal by one who should love a child, graphic description of what such pain really is, and I can see benefits of leaving it to the imagination--even though lack of experience limits what can be imagined. It is however, a story that must be told, if only to release, to vent some of the pain which otherwise remains to hobble us. Bless you "Old Doc" for overcoming such early trauma, and thank you for sharing.
Terry
Edited on Dec 07, 1:44 because 'typo'. -
If I touch you Renee with something that I write,then the piece is a success...period dot.I love you Renee.....Tom
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I am so sorry that you had to suffer from these atrocities. The wonderful thing about this is; YOU broke the chain!!! You did not continue the cycle. You became a good, responsible father and that makes what happened to you never have to happen again. Blessings and Love my dear brother, you overcame the odds. A very emotional write. I was looking for some type of humor, but there is none here. I am glad that you were unable to unleash some of these feelings. I LOVE YOU!
Your Sis'
Renee
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Thank you so much for your kind comment Nikki,the really sad thing about this piece,the real pain about it, is that it is a true story...
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Oh my goodness what an absolutely sad and horrible narrative story poem, yet at the same time the ending turns it all to gold! How wonderful, meaningful and wise that the sins of the father did not impart upon Jr as a man and father himself! This is an excellent, wise and meaningful piece...BRAVO!!!!
Good Luck in the contest!
~Nikki~ -
Wow!!!This is a hit of reality!Sometimes we all need to be reminded that this happens!I know all to well what this is like!
This is a really good poem and I am glad that you shared it!Good luck!!!!I wish you well! -
It's so sad and tragic. Yet it is hopeful. It's a slap of reality that we so often need. I'm glad you survived this and are here to share your talents.
Edited on Dec 07 because ''. -
Excellent poem I felt sorry for junior. -robo-
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