Hello, this is Susie Clevenger and I want to wish each of
you a Happy New Year! I am hoping this will be a wonderful and blessed year for
each one of us.
When Kerry sent out the call to see if we would be
interested in starting the new year with collaborative poems I gave a hearty
thumbs up! Little did I know that I would be working with Kerry and ours would
be the first out of the gate. Kerry knew
there was a subject that was dear to my heart and she made the suggestion that
we write a poem about it.
Hands of Hope ~ You Are Not Alone
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Image ~ Duddeston Station ~ Elliot Brown
You wicked child!
And little hands beaten,
Supper denied,
Locked in a cupboard all afternoon.
Naughty boy!
Who speaks for the children’s
inarticulate pain
when parents are to blame?
Precious boy,
I will
hold you in your pain.
You are
not to blame
for the
evil stripes brutal hands
placed
upon your body.
I raised the cry to see the
cupboard unhinged.
You will
never be locked
in
darkness again.
You filthy tramp!
And a fist to the other eye,
Hair pulled,
Kicked to the floor while babies cry.
Dirty slut!
Who hears the women’s pleas
battered again
when husbands are to blame?
Sister, rise from your bruising.
We have
heard your voice!
Compassion
is now your sanctuary.
Words
and fists can no longer batter you.
Their
rage has been assigned
a number and metal bars.
You stupid old goat!
And a rough hand at the throat,
Shoulders shaken,
Left naked all night in a stripped-down bed.
Stinky old fool!
Who protects the aged fathers
from unspeakable shame
when children are to blame?
Sir, can you hear me?
This is your home now.
This is your home now.
You are safe from hands
that stole your dignity.
You are a veteran decorated
with stars and stripes.
There will be no more wounds
of domestic battle only honor
for a soldier who fought a war for me.
From reading the poem it is easy to discern the topic is
abuse. It is a subject I am very familiar with and am passionate about doing
what I can to stop and prevent it. Kerry wrote her part as the aggressor and I
chose to write my part as the person who gave a helping hand to bring someone
out of abuse. She wondered if it was too tough a topic to begin a new year
discussing, but I believe it is a perfect time to focus on change. Each one of us can do our part to see these
atrocities ended.
I have included some resources that offer assistance to those who have suffered abuse.
As poets this is a way we could give our poetic voice to a cause that focuses on violence against women.
Woman Scream Poetry Festival
March 2013
March 2013