This is one of my more powerful poems especially for those who are healing from abuse or for those who yet need a light at the end of that dark tunnel in order to get out! Remember to forgive yourself! I hope this helps!
It opens a bit
And I peer inside
So frightening the site
I close it and hide
The years go on
But closed it won’t stay
I keep seeing more
And it won’t go away
A man comes along
And tells what he sees
He points out the stains
The torn threads at the seams
But what are they for
He asks so confused
My answer is marks
For I’ve been abused
No the stains on the outside
Why are they there
My answer is clearly
That life was unfair
But why not take it off
It’s not part of you now
For it’s only a suit
That you wear like a crown
Because I just can’t
For what will I do
I don’t know who I am
Without this old suit
I want all who see
To know where I’ve been
To feel sorry for me
And to be my friend
But they won’t want all this
They’ll want to have fun
They won’t want to hold you
And help you to run
But I don’t know what’s in there
For what will they see
If I open this up
And they see the real me
He pulls back the suit
And looks deep inside
A smile creeps up
His eyes full of pride
Fear churns in my stomach
At the site that I see
At this man full of pride
And he’s looking at me
I pull back the suit
And close it up tight
Don’t do that again
For you cause such a fright
The pain on his face
And the hurt in his eyes
But why can’t I see that
Every day of my life
Why can’t I have beauty
To walk next to me
Why must that old suit
Hide that which I see
I run to the corner
To hide in the dark
But the light creeps inside
Showing all those old marks
How ugly this is
This suit that I wear
I peel it back slowly
I sit and I stare
Time passes by
Not sure what to do
The man is still here
But my friends are so few
I sit and I wait
The fear all around me
The man he appears
Standing so proudly
I’m sorry for you
But I must leave you now
I need someone here
Who’s not afraid to come out
But I don’t want you to leave
I can’t do this alone
And neither can I
I can’t carry these stones
My eyes fill with tears
And as they roll down my face
I peel back the suit
And it lights up the space
This actually looks good
There’s light and there’s air
No darkness surrounds me
And I don’t feel so bare
I look up and he’s smiling
A tear in his eye
Now this gives me hope
For this I shall try
But to do this I need love
More than I see
A reassurance of the good
As I set myself free
The stains there so long
They are stuck to my skin
And the threads wound so deep
They’ve gone to within
His hand wraps in mine
Our tears turn to gold
So bright is the future
And all it beholds!
~Pamela K. Berkhiem
©October 25, 2010
