Poems for the mentally ill

Abandoned

~ Childhood Trauma ~

7 years old that girl, her favourite people in the world,

scare her. Hiding behind a shelf purely to protect herself

cause daddys been drinking again and mumma's gone

to see new men.

10 years old that girl, takes on way more than she should,

jumps between a punch and covers the bruises for months

cause she dosen't want daddy to be taken away so to avoid

that she'll handle the pain.

13 years old that girl, she has depression now. Keeps a

knife in her room at night, in case mum and dad get in

a fight. Locking herself in the bathroom, contemplating

whether to call the policemen.

16 years old that girl, 3 suicide attempts on her record.

If you can't fight them, join them she whispers as she

downs another drink and takes a toke of daddys spliff.

Numbing the pain with drugs, cause she never received

any hugs.

19 years old that girl, her body she's decided to sell.

Goes from brothel to brothel to feed her addiction

gets found every morning, bottle content missing.

22 she should be now, died at 21, a drug overdose,

alcohol poising, kidnap and rape supposedly all done

by what she called a 'mate.' Finally escaped, she always

felt like a mistake never got taught she should be taken

on a date and now its too late.

Mum and dad never noticed, they were too wrapped

up in themselves. Never noticed when she sat silent

watching them fight whilst hugging that knife.

Never noticed the walls weren't sound proof when

they taught her profanity to keep hold of her

sanity and now she's gone.

Listen to your kids, you know they have ears,

so don't let them hear your fights, it gives them

such a fright. Don't make them keep secrets from

their brothers and their sisters or they too might

end up with your same deadly blisters.