She tried to reach them but they turned away,
She sought to heal the scars of childish chills,
She strained to listen, words they’ll never say
to her, and yet she stands there waiting – still.
She delved too deeply, saw beyond their frills,
Masks of creatures filled with hate, like shrouds,
Clawed by cobwebs dripping from the sills
of shacks abandoned (as they should).
An opened palm in friendship (if only) could
have been a passport to a peaceful calm,
Instead they chose to shackle, irons and rood,
And showered not with love, but bitter balm.
The moral of my story isn’t clear,
Save to hold your children safely near.
*****
I write this as too many of our children deal with the ravages of sinister and relentless bullying. Trapped by believing, at first, that goodness can overcome all, they venture forth naïvely, only to be brutally cut down, again and again.
Too many of our children abide this terror every day. Believing that they are powerless to change their harsh reality, they linger in the limbo of wanting acceptance, yet afraid to admit the abuse they suffer.
Their only hope is to cling to families who love them unconditionally; who give them the strength, support and self-confidence to see it through.
*****
The Light and Shade Challenge
Written and submitted to the Light and Shade Challenge, October 14, 2014.
So true,as the family’s of the bullied suffer along with the bullied child. Yet there is no answer, we just sit back and watch our loves suffer at the hand of bully’s, sadly the teachers allow it, and they see it. Great blog. So sad so true. I know first hand.
This was difficult to write about… I can only imagine how traumatic it is to face that as a reality in your life. One can only hope that by living through it, one becomes stronger.
Opal Reflections 
So true,as the family’s of the bullied suffer along with the bullied child. Yet there is no answer, we just sit back and watch our loves suffer at the hand of bully’s, sadly the teachers allow it, and they see it. Great blog. So sad so true. I know first hand.
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This was difficult to write about… I can only imagine how traumatic it is to face that as a reality in your life. One can only hope that by living through it, one becomes stronger.
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