Poems from Sex Abuse Survivor, Emma-Jane Taylor

Abuse is a sentence

Abuse is a sentence that is more than for life,
It splatters around and grows wings that aren’t nice,
It diverts to dark places to find new dark air,
And suffocates prisoners unable to share.

Abuse causes struggles and gasps for fresh air,
It causes ill health, addictions and scares,
It kills people’s souls and takes away hearts,
Abuse is immoral, and bitter and dark.

Abuse kills off lives, yet abusers roam free,
Preparing attacks and seen out leisurely,
Their selfish unkind and heinous crime,
Continues to pause others in their darkness and grime.

Abuse lives on in each vein and each thought,
Inhibiting hearts and a silence – that’s taught,
This silence holds pain at a dangerous cost,
Causing confusion and lives to get lost.

I pray

I pray for peace, for love and for care,
I pray for the many who are just not aware,
I pray that the world soon starts to listen,
To give young hearts some hope that can glisten.

I pray for the children being abused,
For their nights to be peaceful and not to be used
By selfish behaviour that darkens their thoughts,
And fills up their dreams with much pain and distort.

Children are living in fear for their life,
They are empty and scared by abuse that is rife,
There are no words for the pain many share,
I just pray for peace, for love and for care.

International Women’s Day 2022
PROUD

As a woman I stand here proud and with voice,
I shout from the rooftops with flare and with choice,
Something I didn’t know that I could now do,
But now feel the freedom of pride – that’s new.

Women have come along way with their views,
We stand and we celebrate each other’s good news,
I’m proud of my sisters wherever they be,
And united I share in their value and glee.

We are strong, we are heroes, we’re filled with good care
We are active and present, and use this to air –
our strength and our voice with our presence and heart,
To rise and consider those at a fresh start.

Each year we all hope for a fresh way to live,
We shine a bright light on the way people give,
With this new hope and connections we make,
Our celebration of women allows us to break….

…free from the bias, the shame and the fear, the complex discussion
that keeps us so near, to freedom and voice and inclusive debates
That bring about intrigue and opinion it makes.

My journey has given me food for much thought,
I’ve no expectations or grudges to sort,
I’m taking my lessons to ease future pain,
And giving young people my lessons for gain.

I am proud to be here as a woman who’s found,
Her heart and her love and her future abound,
I share here today my sister’s great worth,
And celebrate women who inhabit our Earth.

Let go

Their hearts are so shiny so innocent, so new,
They haven’t yet found how to understand you,
But they will as time passes and they find their light,
The one you put out which will one day shine bright.

You took away innocence, life and young hope,
And all you could think of was a selfish dark grope,
Did it make you feel better to cause so much pain,
To tiny young hearts who looked on with disdain.

Your actions and thoughts need help and some care,
Without which you’re dangerous and need to be snared,
Young hearts should just live and run and just be,
And you need to allow them to run and be free.

Let go and be wise – you’re killing young minds,
Let go and think how you could change to be kind,
Let go and get help so children can see,
That life should be fun, and very carefree.

What were you doing?

Why did you do what you did…was it right?
To make me feel scared when out of sight,
If it wasn’t so bad then why couldn’t I tell,
Of course, we now know this didn’t sit well.

The sharp memories pang when I go to sleep,
That not very nice and do make me weep,
The smells that remind me of your dirty act,
The music that makes me convulse and retract.

You’re selfish, you’re mean, you don’t deserve much,
You need more than therapy to help you, as such,
Young minds do not need your guiding through life,
They need to be guided away from your strife.

I’m seeing a therapist ~ you gave her to me,
It’s been forty years but I am finally now free,
My nightmares have turned to dreams of good days,
And now I help others to not go astray.

You’re nothing to me ~ just a lesson I share,
A lesson that keeps children aware from your lair,
A lesson that helps young minds to stay able,
And continues to give hope and keep children stable.

You

You were young you were innocent, carefree and kind,
You were not to have known of the pain in your mind,
Those distorted thoughts that grew with your age,
That made you feel like a lion that’s caged.

Your angers now heard, your voice is now strong,
You must never forget that you did nothing wrong,
You were just a child; innocent and small,
And now you’re grown up with a heart full of tools.

You’ve found the right way and look back with new eyes,
That give you new power to understand why,
It was never you who did this dark act,
You just keep going and know that’s a fact.

I’m so proud to know you to listen and learn,
To give others hiding their voice in return,
We’ve come along way let’s never forget,
Thank you for being the voice you project.

Believe

The dark nights are scary, lonely and sad,
The dark nights are empty, confusing and bad,
The dark nights hold secrets, much pain and regret,
The dark nights hold tears that are filled with such fret.

The darkness holds trauma, night terrors and shame,
The darkness takes prisoners with no-one to blame,
If only somebody would listen and learn,
To the secrets that fill up the air with concern.

Hear them

Let children be children and let them be heard,
Believe them and hear them ~ this isn’t absurd.

I am right here beside you

You don’t have to hurt, you don’t have to cry,
I am right here beside you to listen and sigh,
It is always ok you’ve done nothing wrong,
By talking and sharing we can chat all day long.

Uncovering some truths, and sharing our pain,
Unlocks the deep darkness and helps us to gain,
It’s hard to move forward without thought or with care,
But with passion, good therapy and friends we can share.

Life can be nourished when knowing our path,
With focus and kindness to find your North Star,
Never give up when it feels easier to reach,
There is always tomorrow with people who teach.

It is time for your heart to heal through your power,
It’s like finding fresh hope or smelling a flower,
I am right here beside you to listen and sigh,
You don’t have to hurt, you don’t have to cry.

Let children be children

I continue to go where the angels dare fly,
And do this for young hearts to no longer cry,
I understand sadness, confusion and pain,
and use this to help me stay balanced and sane.

Children should live with good life in their heart,
And not be kept hidden or scared of the dark,
Emotions run high when abuse has begun,
There’s no going back when the darkness has done.

I’m not scared to speak, to share or to fly,
And do this for young hearts to no longer cry,
My lessons this far are focused on change,
And continue to fight for hearts to stay sane.

Leave innocent hearts in peace

What made you think that this was ok?
To take away innocence in such a dark way?
Did you not stop to think how damaged we’d be?
Or is that the whole point, you’re selfish you see.

You clearly don’t think of others pure pain,
You just thought of you and of us with disdain,
We wish you had had more respect for your life,
And left us with peace to grow without strife.

But you couldn’t and wouldn’t and now we all learn,
Our voices are greater to reduce much concern,
We give others hope, strength and share what we’ve learnt,
To be kind, honest, happy and not to be burnt.

By shadows like you who need more than you know,
It isn’t your right to teach lessons of woe,
You go and find someone to help you – it’s key,
And leave our young hearts to live, laugh and be free.

My journey

My journey has given me food for much thought,
I’ve no expectations or grudges to sought,
I’m taking my lessons to ease future pain,
By giving young people my lessons for gain.

My Lessons

I didn’t know then what I know now,
Would it have changed – I certainly think so.
I’d have known what to do, what to say, how to act
And used all my strength to change the raw fact.

That no-one should treat me the way that you shared,
I’d listen more closely and be much more aware,
I’d remember my values; who I am, what I need,
So no-one could hurt me, and life I could lead.

Instead of my pain, my fear, hurt and tears,
I’d enjoy the fun moments and memories of years,
I wouldn’t lose sight of my prayer nor of me,
And enjoy the blue skies and the grass and the seas.

Never forget you taught me so much,
These lessons I use to help others as such,
“Be your own person, inside and out”
And that is my lesson I share and will shout.

Survivor

You gave me so much from your selfish cruel care,
You don’t understand what you did was not fair,
I’ve grown to be strong, kind, caring and able,
You gave me all that and also a label.

A label I use to better my days,
I’m no longer fearful or prisoned in haze,
I’m speaking and sharing all that you’ve taught,
A survivor who knows what it is to be bought.

I don’t care for you I just pray you don’t clutter,
You’ve crippled many lives by pulling your shutter,
I’m now proud of my label and wear it with pride,
A survivor who knows what you did with your lies.

I smile with such calm, with focus and thought,
Knowing you could have taken my fort,
But I took it back and I owned what you shared,
And share it with others to show that I care.