I’ll Walk With You

I’ll Walk With You

The storm it is brewing

The war has been waged

We have altered a life

A child filled with rage

Where we might think it isn’t

A communicable disorder

We have started a chain

Can not be afforded

Outside looking inward

Logic is lost for a while

Why would an abused adult

Then abuse another child

It is a painful cycle no less

If we don’t stop the track

More children will be tainted

Falling under attack

This is not the legacy

We want to leave behind

Breaking young hearts

Tainting little minds

We can do better I know

It’s what must be done

We’re all victims…trapped

A vicious web has been spun

Let’s take back our lives

Stop giving in to neglect

It’s what God wants

What He expects

Protect the children now

There is nothing to think through

Would you want your parents silent

If it was happening to you

Our lives they are on fire

We are burning as we speak

Protect our children

The young…the weak

We have created our own hell

By being silent and still

These acts of cowardice

Are of our own will

Please join in my call

Make your actions follow my voice

It doesn’t have to be like this

We do have a choice

I will choose love forever

And too show my true way

I will announce and denounce

Those who live in the gray

You know the gray matter

Those who know but don’t speak

We have the power to change

We are not the ones weak

Be strong and stand tall

Know that God walks with you

Bring child abuse awareness

And I’ll walk with you too

**We MUST stop child abuse now…END THE CYCLE

The Best of Us All

The Best of Us All

We should never have cause

To mourn a child

Because we live in a world

That has simply gone wild

Children battered

Being constantly abused

The color of love

Is not the shade of a bruise

I have no understanding

Of how a parent can fore sake

The life of a child

The divine rules we do break

We have no right to injure

Or impose our gross interpretation

Of how we want life to be

Causing further alienation

Children are not little adults

They need our protection

Instead we have become the problem

The ongoing infection

I honestly can NOT tell you

I know why this occurred

And can’t get wrapped up in

How you might be disturbed

She was 9 years old

And then she was not

You were her father

I guess you forgot

So let me remind you

Her body was never yours to know

She was a baby…innocent

Now to never grow

So you took her life

To buy her silence about you

But let me give my voice

Another point of view

She no longer breathes

I think you should remember why

Because of what you did

Her silence you couldn’t buy

Children are true blessings

Each and every single one

Evidence of God is found

In our daughters and our sons

We must stop the violence

We can no longer turn away

Too many children are dying

Let us pray:

Oh Father…who is above Heaven

Please forgive our ignorant acts

Protect the children from us

For we know the facts

The fact is we neglect and abuse

The biggest blessings we’re given

We have no excuse

For the way we are living

Father please guard the children

We need to harbor them from the storm

It’s been our duty…our job

Since the day they were born

I don’t know when we lost our way

I just know that we did

Our children fell prey

We became sordid

Please remove the evil

Which flows through our veins

So we may meet you in Heaven

When we see you again

And too all those innocents

Which we sent home to you so fast

I hope you have finally found the love

You have needed at last

May you all have eternal peace

Knowing no harm can again befall

You TRULY are the very

Best of us all

 **RIP XIOMARA JONSALES-FERNANDEZ…we love you forever

Do What Is Right

Do What Is Right

In the beginning there was light

And all things in between

We’ve been told this since birth

But what does it mean?

Does it mean how I worship

Should fall under scrutiny

Or that if my skin is too dark

I will be a victim of mutiny

No I didn’t get that message

When those words were said to me

Hate was never part of our

Eternal destiny

You can not impose your beliefs

Upon another’s heart

Just speak truth…wish them peace

When you go to part

You may think I should look

A little more like you

I guess the problem starts

When I feel the same way too

But the truth is that we

Are only part of a plan

No matter what we say

Like the blades on a fan

If we work against one another

There will be no cool air

And although life may get hard

Seem to be unfair

We are only a portion

Of a much larger picture

So stop sitting around indifferent

Like a kitchen tile fixture

Step up…speak up

Finally do what is right

Wrong is just wrong

Fight the good fight

If the debate of injustice

Just wages in your head

You’ve ended no war

Today there’s more dead

Does this seem melodramatic

A stretch of the imagination

We are walking around in hell

Our living damnation

The children we claim to love

Are starving to death

Abuse…neglect…dehydration

Another took his last breath

Sitting around politely

Wearing a sweet smile

Is evil when

Our children are defiled

Make some noise…yell

Make people jump to their feet

It’s nice if you want no problem

But there’s a child being beat

Maybe you didn’t give birth

To that child next door

But be rest assured

That child is yours

It’s the world’s child

What you do next is the key

Will you keep him locked up

Or set him free

Will you be his voice

No matter where you reside

Or sit there quietly

While again he dies

Understand my brother

And yes my sister too

That child is me

That child is you

Give him the chance to

Grow and learn from love

Show him our Creator is great

Embracing from above

Please wait no more

He has taken all he can bear

Show him humanity

By just being there

Don’t wait for another

To step and take over

Give him a childhood

Of roses in fields full of clover

Show humanity today

Shine God’s brilliant light

Help a child in need

I ask…do what is right

**We can put an end to child abuse…it is up to us…do your part. We are donating a portion of the proceeds from our poetry book “The Light of Our Path”  to the Atlanta Children’s Shelter, Inc

Her Only Crutch

Her Only Crutch

A bruise it can heal

A scar doesn’t begin to touch

A broken-hearted angel

Who once loved so much

We may claim its not so bad

Saying she got what she’s worth

But she is priceless

Value increasing since birth

For the sins of man make him low

The cost of sin is high

We have time to do what’s right

But even that’s passing by

She is no possession

No material gain

and your ill intentions…

You should be ashamed

She isn’t your possession

She isn’t owned or bought

But a loved child of God

Not a bird you have caught

Now don’t forget loves

Anything you do treat as pray

Will not find reasons to love you

But methods to run away

You may try to shame her

With your crude behavior and tone

But her survival plan is God

The only one she needs to own

For nothing is greater than

Our father in all His Glory

And He is watching you

He knows the REAL story

REAL men don’t have to hit

To get attention from a lady

They carry God’s empowering light

Don’t have to be shady

Real men don’t need to raise their hands

They are busy lifting their hearts

And that might not be everything

But it’s a very good start

So bruise her you may

But you are the one who is weak

Her salvation is her weapon

It is yours whose is bleak

So when you look at yourself

As an idol and such

She looks like a warrior

When God’s her only crutch

 **We must put an end to DOMESTIC VIOLENCE…Please speak out**

God’s Life Raft

God’s Life Raft

Oh, lonely moon
In a midnight sky
Silent watcher of a
Young child’s cry

Cries in the night
For help go unheard
Never acknowledging
…imagining the brutal hurt

Bruises unexplained
Left on purest skin
A child’s personal war
Is about to begin

Cruelest of words
Thrown at an innocent heart
May seem climactic
But it’s only a start

Little bodies torn
From invasion so vile
She has no hope
Her body defiled

We argue about cell phones
And going out
Her screams are silent
…every day she shouts

She just needs one person
…one human being
To step up to the plate
About what they have seen

Yet again heads are turned
…often a tear falling away
And she’s having to face
Terror again today

This criminal she knows
…she loved and did trust
What is the world becoming
…what’s happened to us

This once sweet lamb
…knows what true evil does
Innocence lost
…barely remembers what it was

If we fail to make the call
…afraid of stepping up
Her life may end
…all because of us

Often when we ask God
To help us through
He throws only one life raft
…what if it’s you?

Would you then look to others
To shout to the world
Leave her alone
…she’s just a little girl

I beg you to please
Step out of your shell
While you are deciding
…she lives in Hell

**In the spirit of trying to do our part…we are donating a portion of our proceeds from the sale of “The Light of Our Path” to the Atlanta Childrens Shelter, Inc.

Waiting For You

Waiting For You

 

A pulse races

Faster every night

She should feel safe

Hidden out of sight

 

He knows every rhythm

Her heart beats so loud

Like a trapped animal

Again today…she was found

 

Bruises, scrapes and cuts

Scars obviously real

Another is placed on her

Before they have time to heal

 

No relief in sight

No help at her beckoned call

Afraid to reach out

She has no peace at all

 

She knows people hear her cry

For help like a beacon in the night

People watching all around her

But still nothing…no relief in sight

 

She is your mom or sister

Or someone she could be

It could happen to anyone

It should be easy to see

 

But as long as we turn

Away from her plight

We all become her abuser

With no hope in sight

 

Reach out for her hand

Even if it seems there is no need

You may be her only hope

Her only way to be free

 

Let the bruises on her face

Be a lesson to us all

Watch out for her stumble

Don’t wait for her to fall

 

Be the net she needs

To know God loves her too

Time is too precious

And she is waiting for you

 

***Please join me at www.dversepoets.com and share a link of poetry on Tuesdays at 3 pm est

 

If You Are Listening

If You Are Listening…

 She is always a little reserved; some may say that she is shy. But I have seen this look before, she is not quiet…she is afraid. She only wants to walk through life quietly without conflict or confrontation; not realizing that what she is doing can not be called living at all. She wants friends, but who would understand the way she is forced to live? She can not even confide in the family and friends that she has now…without the threat of bringing the darkness to their doorway, as well.

  How would she live with the fact that someone she loved may be hurt or even killed simply because they stood by her? So she moves silently…careful not to draw unnecessary attention to herself or her life. She flies under the radar, this self-isolating being of God…praying silently that one day this will all end.

She falls to her knees in desperation. “Dear God, if you are listening…please make him stop”. “Please let me fall asleep forever”. But the next day will look very much like this one…he will watch her; even if he doesn’t speak to her. His presence will speak more loudly than words or actions…”I am here”. “I am not going away”. “I am in control”. “I can not be stopped”. “If you tell anyone, I will kill them…and you will know it was your fault”. And at the end of this day, again, she will pray.

  Understand, her story is not as unique as you may think. Most likely you know someone similar to her, as over 1 million women are stalked in the United States every year. And 89% of femicide victims, the misogynous killing of women by men, have been abused and stalked by their killers12 months prior to their murder.

  What these statistics show is that this is an ongoing problem in our nation. One way of bringing this issue into the light is to remind people that stalking…following…pursuing…and tailing people for the purpose of keeping tabs on them…is not a sign or symbol of love and affection. This is a crime. We need to stop placing blame on the victims of this offense and start pointing fingers at the assailant. We have no reason or cause to continually attack the victim by making excuses for the perpetrator. “If she had said no more loudly…”, “If she hadn’t smiled at him…”, “If she hadn’t worn that outfit”…, “If she had told someone”. She was not at fault…and chastising her will not make the situation get better; all we do when we criticize her…is empower the abuser.

  Stalking is a step below assault and murder. It is compulsive, controlling and violent behavior. We must become aware of this problem…by humanizing the women who are under attack. She could be your mother…your sister….she could be your daughter. Raise your hands up; this is not a big boys club. This is not about brotherhood, it is about mankind. Speak up whenever you can, put your foot down…take a stand against misogyny and femicide.

  Begin today, re-evaluate the way we treat the women in our lives. What starts out small can become enormous…and the beauty in that statement is that we can make it better. Create awareness. January 2012 is Stalking Awareness Month; be aware of this problem. There is no age cap on the female victims, embrace our children. Teach our young boys and girls about respect and boundaries. Guide these young minds and hearts…they are looking to you for support and leadership.

  Show love, by expressing your intolerance of abuse. Don’t make the assumption that the behavior is harmless just because no one has been harmed yet. And if you want to get an idea of what this behavior feels like, on the receiving end…try this exercise: Take down all the curtains, blinds and shades from all of your windows in your home. Leave all your doors wide open…including the front and back door, in fact even leave your bathroom door open; How safe and secure do you feel? How does it feel to think that someone may watch you while you are watching television, eating, sleeping, changing clothes, and bathing? Imagine that every day of your life is like this…are you having fun yet?

  We MUST make a change…in ourselves and then in others. Spend today showing love to all of the women in your life. It can be cold living in the shadows shame and doubt…tell her you love her…let the warmth begin with you.

Stop the Violence

Stop the Violence

  Today is Stop the Violence Day. Even in writing that it seems ridiculous to have to say. As children we are taught, from an early age, to be kind to one another. We have religious books that will tell us to be kind to our neighbors, and to want for our brothers and sisters what we want for ourselves. And since I doubt that anyone wants death and destruction brought upon themselves or those that they love…I doubt we are thinking of it in that way.

  Violence has become a way of life for most of our world. And to support the violent action we are often making excuses for it to continue…both on the domestic and global fronts. We will often hear an abusive person making excuses for his/her behavior stating that they were led to that dark place…often by the victim. When we hear such an outlandish statement, we often shake our heads. And we react in this way because it is juvenile for us to believe that another person could lead us into such violence. After all, we are individuals. We have our own minds and thought patterns. We certainly can not be led astray by another individual…can we? We couldn’t become so angry that we would want to strike someone that could be considered weaker than us, could we? We couldn’t actually hope for people to believe that a child could do something so awful that they would need to be battered or bruised…but do we?

  Tempers flare, but we are responsible for those actions. And if we can not control the actions of our bodies or mouths…we should reach out for help. I learned some startling statistics that I wanted to share with you, so that we could see this problem in black and white.

1. In South Africa 1300 women are raped everyday
2. In the United States, 683,000 forcible rapes occur every year
3. Child abuse is reported every 10 seconds
4. Every 9 seconds a woman is beaten
5. 5-6 children will die from complications of abuse every day
6. Most Rapists commit 10 rapes before they are caught
7. 4 million women a year are seriously abused every year
8. 1 in 5 high school girls are sexually or physically abused by a partner

 

  These statistics, while startling are completely factual. There is nothing worse than being abused. This violence has to stop. We are literally killing each other…every single day.

  No one…has the right to put their hands on another living soul. We do not have eminent domain over another person. People are not property. We can not be held or contained and if we are…it is a violation of our civil rights. It is criminal to make anyone do anything against their will…whether spoken or implied.

  I pray that we use this day as an example of how we are supposed to live. We need to learn to live in harmony, with ourselves and others.

You Are Not Alone

You Are Not Alone

 

 

I wanted to tell you that I understand what is happening to you. I know what its like to be afraid to be noticed. I know how important it is to keep a secret, and be ashamed of what you live with everyday. I want you to know that I, too, have known real fear. You are not alone. I, like you, have endured the most humiliating and brutal pain that a woman may ever endure. I know what its like to apologize for crying, after being beaten, bruised, or worse. I understand why you don’t encourage friendships. Every time you shed a tear…please know that I have shed the same one. Most of your family, and probably none of your friends, know what your life is really like…past the smile you show everyone…but I do. Do you still flinch when some one speaks abruptly? I wanted to tell you that I understand what is happening to you. Has your body gotten used to the pain of his anger? Does your soul seem hollow; does your spirit feel weak? I am here to tell you, I understand.

 I know what its like to be afraid of your own shadow. I remember feeling so lost and isolated, that I would pray for God to just let me fall asleep forever. I know you feel like life is hopeless…I am here to tell you it isn’t.

 Let me tell you about him. He is not as strong as he wants you to believe. There is nothing wrong with you…your inner strength is why you are still here. What he has done to you is inexcusable…he is weak. Real men don’t need to hit women. Love is not taken from women…it is given freely. God did not create you for another person to batter or abuse. I know it all seems hopeless…but you are not alone. He doesn’t want you to have friends, because you will be exposed to REAL love…and he needs to control you. He doesn’t want you having relationships with your family, because they will try to stop him. He needs to have you all to himself…so he can tear at your self esteem…and then spoon feed you pseudo compliments, so he comes across like a knight in shining armor. In truth, he is no knight….but a court jester…he is a joke…except no one is laughing. Of course he wants you to dress drab…at this point he cant take a chance on a real man noticing, how your eyes sparkle when you laugh…or the way sunlight hits your hair. You did not cause him to hurt you, no matter what he says.

 Know that no matter what he tells you, God loves you. You are a beautiful person inside and out, and no one can take that from you. I know life has been hard, and finding the strength to get up everyday isn’t easy…but everyday you do it. Everyday you put on your “everything” is fine face…and go about your business. You are the strong one. He is envious of you…because try as he may…he is unable to break you.

 Talk to people, don’t suffer in silence. I know it is scary to walk away…but remember you are walking towards a better future. Please know that if you stay, nothing will get better. His behavior will only escalate. You have to survive. And in your survival, you will be able to reach out to another woman, like I am reaching out to you. You will be able to tell her that she is not alone and there is always hope. Please remember..as long as you are breathing…hope exists.