Very powerful and really well written.

Argh - this is so chilling, and so heart-wrenching at the same time!

I can get the fear in this poem and also the protectiveness towards your family, and how you want to be able to smile and be fine for others, and you try, but you just can't do it. You cannot lie and pretend everything is ok, or will be okay, when inside you are traumatised and still living in fear.

You have described the fear so well here, in such depth, and also went into detail of why you are afraid, although you do not give too much away about the character, but we do not need that information as the poem is so powerful that it does not matter. It could be someone very close to you, or it could be a stranger, either way it is an awful ordeal to suffer.

You know we share the same understanding of poetry, and this one form you is no different... you are like my poetic side-kick that writes what I always want to say.

Keep writing - I really hope it helps you. xx

What a story you have told here Linda!

The sadness does seep from this, and each line honestly tells its own story of how much the past can affect us. It seems at the beginning of this poem you make the point of view of yourself or a narrator, and they keep telling everyone lies about how they are feeling inside and out. They want to tell their mom about one thing that has happened in the past or everything that has happened that their mom doesn't know about, because it seems like you are saying the mom is the own person they can trust.

Next I love how you switched point of views a bit and added the impact or plot of the poem. The person who hurt you. OR the imagination of what I could happen, I love how you made that into a character, because even though they are not physically there, You tell the readers that if they were there this is what will happen. Its sad to think that people are like this in the world, but that is the world we live in now.

anyways the poem is excellent as always from you. I thought the short lines worked well to make the flow of the poem what it is. 5/5