Poetry

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She sits with her head hung low,
Mentally checking off her chores,
She jumps to her feet,
He's coming through the door.

He comes too close for her comfort,
she can feel his breath on her young skin,
His breath is hot and smells so strong,
She knows just where he's been.

Her frail little frame,
shaking inside,
trying to show a happy face,
to this jekyll and hyde.

He notices her smiling face,
Then pulls her close to him,
staggering backwards he almost falls,
….....And For a brief second she feels that the world stalls.

Her face still holding a frozen smile,
He thinks she's laughing at him,
His face fills with rage,
She knows this face of old,
waiting for the pain to follow,
Her eyes refuse to cry.
While inside Her little heart longs to die.

His face is red with anger,
spittle flying from his mouth as he shouts with rage,
landing on the face of this sullen child,
each drop feels like acid as she's waiting for the next stage.

His hand slams across her head,
knocking her swiftly on the floor,
her eyes are still dry,
as he hits her more and more.

Huddled in the corner,
her knees in her chest,
she watches him back off,
And wipe his brow with his sweat stained vest.



He falls back into his usual chair,
Puts his head in his hands,
Mutters to himself about how hard his life is,
and asks her why she doesn't understand.

She pulls herself up from the floor,
her body bruised and numb,
She watches him crying,
Her heart beating like a drum.

“I'm sorry Daddy, I know it's hard for you,
I'll be a better girl, forgive me Daddy,
I don't know why I do the things I do”

“I know it's hard for you Daddy,
Now that mummy has run away,
leaving you with 3 young kids,
to clothe and feed each day.”

“There is a lady from my school Daddy,
She says she talks to Jesus about you ,
She says only Jesus can help you with the things that you do ,
She says that Jesus knows your heart Daddy,
And says He's the only one that can pull us through”

“Please Daddy, don't cry anymore,
Daddy Look, I'm OK now,
I know it's hard for you,
Forgive me Daddy,
I'll do better than I normally do”

“Daddy, why are you looking at me that way?
I've never seen that look before,
Shall I leave you alone Daddy?
Or is there something you want to ask me for?”

He starts to talk...choking on his tears as he does,
“My daughter, I never intended things to be this way,
I thought I could I cope with all of this,
I wanted to shield you from hurt, now I'm the one who inflicts all the pain”

“So may times in your little life,
you've taken the brunt of my frustration,
so many times I've told you I was sorry,
How can I ask you to believe me now without trepidation”
“I want to know this Jesus that you heard about at school,
The One who knows my heart,
I want this Jesus to help me to stop the things I do,
I want this Jesus to help pull us through”

“Can He forgive such shame as mine?
Can He release me from this burden thats consumed me?
Is He really that divine?”

She takes hold of that hand that has hurt her so many times,
and holds it to her heart,
“Daddy, The lady from my school said all you've got to do is ask Him in,
Thats the first place to start?”

“Daddy, I asked this Jesus to help me,
Daddy, I asked this Jesus to speak to you,
Daddy, I asked this Jesus to make you bow your knee”

“And I prayed with all my heart Daddy,
That if it meant I was to be hurt again,
that it was OK Daddy,
For you to be sorry to Jesus was worth all the pain.”

With realization he falls to floor,
His face to the ground,
And starts to implore,
“Oh Jesus what have I done?
My babies, the ones you have given to me,
I have destroyed their little hearts,
Jesus....Oh Jesus....I don't know where to start.”

With her sweet tender voice,
she recalls to his mind,
the things they spoke of before,
And if he repented to Jesus,
the good things that were in store.

He trusted in those innocent words,
the words that made sense,
He offered his wicked sinful heart to Jesus,
and his cleansing was immense.
He cradled his daughter,
so close in his arms,
watching as she slept,
Knowing that the promise of Jesus had now been kept

Laura-Jane 21/01/09

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