Susan Smiles

Cruel Reality

The memories recently surfaced

Just about six months ago

I didn't know what was happening

Or the feelings my body let go

I was at a point in my life

Where everything was going wrong

And then one day as I watched the clouds part,

The memories, in crept upon

Like the rays that should have fallen through

Only this time there was no shine

Someone, my uncle violated me

And took this now dark soul of mine

My eyes fell open to this

As I looked from outside into a window

As I laid on my uncles twin bed

And watched my innocence go

The curtains were spread wide open

And the sun was shining through them

As if it were supposed to be a glorious day

Yet my insides were ripped from within

Like a story unfolding before me

I watched like the turn of a page

His hand ran down to my breast

Yet I didn't have them at that age

What age was I, I cannot tell you

Between 4 and 6 is all I know

I lay there in my little pink nightgown

At this man everyone loved so

Not even a man at that moment

A teen boy is how he looked

While it seems like he wanted to only lose

His virginity, while it was mine he took

Why am I looking in through a window?

Is it because I did not want to be

The child feeling this terror

The one I lost long ago, me.

After feeling his way with his fingers

With his hand, never fully grown

He decided to enter his penis

And I watched as he thrust and he moaned

By this time I'm inside this room,

Looking down from the ceiling above

While this uncle had his way with me

As I lost the true meaning of love

Did I scream or even try to fight?

At first, I did not understand

Until at once I was back in my body

And I smelled over my mouth, his hand

Was this the only time he did this?

At this time, I really don't know

Then again, do I really want to find out?

And feel pain again as they flow

These memories decide to just now appear

Shouldn't I have a choice of when to face this fear?

The ugliness that I put behind me, thanks to my brain

No I can't seem to wash it down the drain

I must face what has happened, no matter what

Will I make it through this, or will I just give up and die

Why can't I just shut my self into my own little world

Where no one can enter, where I can just hide

I've been told I'm a survivor

A survivor of what?

I can't even handle these feelings

Even from the ones that I remember as I continue growing up.

I was 13 years old, enjoying my own little rebellion

When I'm sent to a town to live safely with my aunt.

And I meet this nice boy, or so at the time I thought.

Until he decides to show me how much he can flaunt

We're alone for the first time and I'm so nervous

Never having been with anyone, of course I had forgotten this

He tries to make a move, wait, he's going to far

Now again, I am going through this ugly abyss.

He did not get what he wanted, although not for lack of trying

He threw me to the ground and told me I accept

That he was going to do this to me, no matter what I said

Until I kicked him in the balls and ran away as he wept.

Never told anyone about this, until almost 2 years from then

When I ended up losing my virginity again

Like before, I didn't want it, like before he didn't care

It was a different man this time, with a greed behind his stare

This time I was not able to fight back and run

I had to stay and let this man do what he came for

While his wife slept in a different room

The same name as the guy 2 years before

It was my fault, I was drinking, I should never have stayed there,

But I thought since I was at a friend's house, I thought I would be ok

Until his older brother caught me in the middle of the night

And showed me why I shouldn't have stayed.

I got up to drink some water and he was there on the couch

I was shocked to see him still awake as the rest of us were not

When he saw me, he kissed me and I tried to push him off

Until he laid me on the floor and on top of me he got.

He was older, 26 and in the army, what a shame

I was only 14years old and I knew I lost this game

He kept telling me I like it, I kept telling him to stop

He said I enjoyed his big one, I told him that I did not

Once he finished he laid back down, leaving me to fend for myself

I got up and drank my water and just went back to bed

I was scared to say anything

To the woman that he wed

The next day, I spent two hours, with his wife at the store

I was afraid to go straight home for fear that she would notice

That something was really wrong

And ultimately blame me for this

I was scared to tell my mother, once I finally went home

If she knew that I had been drinking, she would blame me

She would think it was my fault

She would not be able to see

So I told my friend who also was a friend of my mother's

Make her keep it a secret, knowing for her it would be hard

I was afraid I may have gotten pregnant, or had caught some weird disease

I had never had sex before this, or so I thought with disregard.

We took this man to court, when my mom finally found out

He pleaded "no contest" doesn't that mean he's guilty

I was told not to go near his house and he got probation

Even then he wasn't charged for rape, only for assaulting me

I moved on with my life, which is short yet very long

So much stuff has happened since then, never thinking anything was wrong

I got pregnant when I was 15 and had my baby a year after

I met my husband while I was pregnant, and now our marriage is a disaster

As I watched my daughter was taken away from me by my father

Screwed again, by another man, why the hell do I even bother

Married young and had more children, never realizing at all.

That I've not been able to show love, now I'm taking a hard fall.

My husband suffers because of me and feels like being suicidal

Only our kids to keep us afloat and remind us of our bridal

Commitment to each other and the children we now see

Running around before us, just as innocent as can be

Now I have to deal with this terror, having put it six months ago behind

Due to other arising problems, that have left us in a bind

Now my marriage is a mess and I have once again

been left with the decision to heal if I want to keep my kin

He does not know that I love him

Although I can see why

I have never showed him emotion

I can't even try to cry

I have told my father the truth

About this memory I had

He told me he would support me

Then he turned around and got mad

My mom now knows about my uncle

I just broke her heart I know

Where was she while this was happening?

How could this uncle have done so

How she loves me, my mom tells me

How she'll always be there for me

How she feels extremely guilty

That she could not protect me

Mom it's not your fault, I tell her,

Mommy you never did know

If you had you would have killed him

Just as you always told me so

Daddy does not believe me

Mommy can you call him please

Although I think it's his new wife

That refuses to let him see

Husband thank you for being there

Helping me to get through this

As I'm trying to float above water

And I'm trying to beat this

So far now, I feel so ugly

Although I know it was not my fault

I feel dirty and ashamed

Why didn't I remember sooner, I thought

I'm depressed and suicidal.

With my kids keeping me alive

If it weren't for those precious faces

I'd have gone to take a dive

Into the oceans of hell

Into the flames that I know so well

From the way I've always felt

Never having to have dealt

With these emotions running strong

Why is this taking so long?

How do I go through these stages?

Why is my depression contagious?

I will now end this long poem.

Cannot see from what this stems

Only that I wait for night

So I no longer have to fight

Get in touch with your inner child

How when I have gone so wild

I can't take back the things I've lost

I'm just waiting for the frost

To slowly melt away

Like I'm told may happen someday

I don't even deserve to heal

Please tell me what is the big deal

Can't I keep living my life numb.

Just because I feel so dumb.

Does not mean there's a problem there

Only that I don't have to care

Why can't I keep up these walls

That have since protected me

Why must I be vulnerable?

Why must I have to believe?

I know why, it's all because, my family deserves the best

And if it weren't for my kids, I'd have long ago failed this test

I have rewards out there to reap, the worst is over isn't it?

Who knows, I'm only beginning to deal with this shit.

CynthiaG