Through her child's eyes

by Walter   Jan 30, 2019


She held her child so tightly as she put him down to sleep
Told him that she loved him and forever she would keep
Her promise to be there for him and always by his side
To protect him from danger so he would never have to hide

He would just stare but found comfort in her words
Convinced himself again to believe everything he heard
But it would never be long before hearing her start to cry
It was then that he would question why his mummy lies

The man in the other room would always begin to yell
After drinking so many of those awful cans that smell
Used words he knew were bad to call his mummy names
And never understood why she always took the blame

I'm sorry I'm sorry the only words he heard her say
But the man was very angry and told her she must pay
Although the boy was scared he couldn't leave her alone
Knew the man would hurt her as he heard his mummy moan

He ran out to the couch and wrapped his arms around her
The man began shouting with words he could only slur
But the boy stood his ground and told him to go away
With his mum already shaking while she could only pray

The man became silent like he began to think
It was then that he decided he needed another drink
He stormed out the front door determined to travel far
Not at all concerned as long as he reached the closest bar

Mummy why are you with that man who always treats you bad
Because love is something that should make you happy and not sad
She couldn’t hold her emotions back and started crying wild
Realizing she doesn't even share the same wisdom as her child

4


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Latest Comments

  • 5 years ago

    by Meena Krish

    A sad reality, a painful one too which
    children have to witness...and yes love
    makes you happy not sad...a touching
    write

  • 5 years ago

    by Guilty By Design

    I love your ending line as well. Such a hard topic to discuss, yet the sad reality of too many. Beautifully written.

    • 5 years ago

      by Walter

      Thanks Guilty and yes, makes you wonder how many go through this completely unnoticed.

  • 5 years ago

    by Milly Hayward

    Often the victim of abuse is a person who would never imagine being in in an abusive situation but finds that what starts as a great relationship changes suddenly and they are sucked into an escalation and combination of physical and psychological abuse which ends up rendering them incapable of escape.

    Alcohol and drugs can contribute to abusive behavior but generally the perpetrators have an internal need for control and get their joy from causing pain.

    Unfortunately what their children see and endure has a huge impact on them and they live in constant fear and anxiety. The repurcussions of their experiences will carry through with them the rest of their lives.

    This is a heart breaking tale of an abusive relationship captured through the mind of a child. Unfortunately the reality is that its not easy to escape such relationships especially with children and that sometimes trying to escape can proove more fatal than staying.
    (Which can be seen by all the murder cases relating to victims leaving or having left violent relationships)

    Thankfully there is a lot more help and support out there now and domestic abuse is taken very seriously regardless of the sex of the perpetrator.

    Well done on a thought provoking piece about a subject that often goes unseen. Milly x

    • 5 years ago

      by Walter

      Thanks so much and I couldn't agree more with everything you say Milly. It so often starts as what seems like a perfect situation before true colours start showing. And more often than not escape is never an easy exit. So horrible to hear when young children are forced to deal with this physical and emotional pain, as you say will stay with them for life. Yes help and support is readily available but only to the victims who seek it before its too late. It's awful when they believe denial is their only option.

  • 5 years ago

    by DarkNDangerous

    Dark subject matter I am so familiar with, this was beautifully written. That last stanza though is breath taking "Realizing she doesn't even share the same wisdom as her child". Great piece.

    • 5 years ago

      by Walter

      Thanks so much DND and my heart goes out for anyone who has been through or going through something as terrible as this. And so often hard to escape, it's a relief to hear of the minority who do.

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