“Trust him not with your secrets, who, when left alone in your room, turns over your papers.”
– Johann Kaspar Lavater
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.
*
Loss for words
As a small girl
I had a passionate
Love affair
With paper
And pencils
But most of all
With words
Every chance I had
I would finger the smooth
Crisp pages
I marveled as the
Pencil raced, danced, glided
Or stomped
Across the sheet
All of the things
That couldn’t
Be said
Would magically appear
Wanting to be heard
Testimony in the court
Of childhood
Aching to bear witness
To all violations
Of one small girl
But
The judge and jury
Routinely
Purged this small girls room
For any trace
Of incriminating evidence
Verdicts handed down
Fast, furious and ever so harsh
Must make an example
Cease and desist
Trying to hide my words
Lifting the blue and tan
Checked tile cover
Of the fireplace ash bin
Never used –
Maybe it would be safe
Would guard my secrets
Would reveal dark truths
After I was gone
Censorship ran rampant
And the stakes escalated
Until the words
Turned mute
–
Just prior to turning forty
A crack – nearly indistinguishable
In the wall
Between me and my words
The decades of mounting pressure
And erosion from neglect
An increasing force
That would be
Reckoned with – at times
The words would be shelved
After all they
Weren’t important
Only childish ramblings
That must be silenced
The little girl survived
And my words
Illuminate
This journey
Deal
With
It!
*
Bisous,
Léa
Fierce! xoxo
Yes, it was. xoxo
Oh Lea this is a superb poem and I am sure many others could be helped hy reading your exoerience. Such a pouring out of words needing and deserving to be spoken. You are a star, and Im so pleased those horrible negative experiences did not cause the words to remain mute. You have allowed yourself the freedom to let them flow firecely like a wild waterfall and it feels to me like this is just the beginning. Well done for all the courage it takes to set these words free. Love you my friend ( sorry if Ive gone a bit soppy but thats who I am 😊)
Love
xxx
Christine, you are so kind and your continuing support means more than I can say. The words were mute for decades but as you know, the damn has burst and I am armed with my poison pen that tells it as it was. While I can still tap into it, it is basically for those who send me little emails of their own issues. There are always others out there that are surviving but haven’t yet broken through.
Don’t ever apologise for who you are as you are a treasure and I delight in you!
Love
xxx
😊 xxx
🙂 xxx
You go, girl!
Just a subtle warning for those tempted to rile my poison pen! 😉 Merci beaucoup!
I enjoyed the quotes especially the first one
and your poem flowed with the power of someone who has found her voice
and one to be reckoned with at that…
your thoughts are so important…never should what anyone thinks be silenced
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful part of you….
Take Care…You Matter…
)0(
maryrose
Lea I am thankful the words won and you did not remain mute, what a sad world it would be if all the creatives stopped playing with words. Love this poem, you are a master wordsmith my friend.
Kath, you have made my day! Yes, it is sad when so many give up often even before beginning having been told so often, “you can’t” whatever it might be. Having a lifetime of that, I get so excited about reading your posts about your family! It is such a different world. Yet, in moving to France, I observe more of what you describe and it is beautiful!
I like the quotes and the poem. I wish we taught kids to write, use their imagination and dream. Kids need to be unlocked and free. The story in the poem left me with questions. Thank you for sharing the amazing poetry.
John, thank you for stopping by my poetry blog. I agree totally that children should have the freedom to write. Unfortunately, they do not always have the ability to do so safely. I know that I did not. I was one of the fortunate ones as I have found my voice. If the questions are for me, perhaps I can help?
Just I didn’t know some places had restriction. I was station in Germany and a kind German girlfriend starting me writing story and poetry into journal in 1977. I thought Europe was open and free. The great writers came from Europe. Dryden would be disappointed if he know the words are not flowing freely.
Ah but for me, it was in California that I was silenced for far too long. It happens everywhere.
USA. I wondered. You answered the question. I loved Europe.I roamed the Youth Hostels and They taught me to love Leonard Cohen music and writing.
I’ve always enjoyed the hostels as I met wonderful people and I don’t travel to sit in a hotel. Years ago I met someone in Carcassonne who introduced me to Couchsurfing and I was hooked. I’ve had visitors from numerous Countries and having a ball. If you are interested, they can be found easily online.
Wow Lea! This is amazingly powerful stuff, it feels like it came from the fire in your heart. I love the last lines “Deal with it!” just brilliant! 😀 x
Becka, thank you so much. I do appreciate your support. Yes, it comes from deep within as does most of my work. I like the following quote from Ernest Hemingway, “Writing is easy. You sit at the typewriter and bleed.”
🙂 x
You’re more than welcome Lea, I always enjoy reading your work as it is so heartfelt. I’m with you on that quote, very true 🙂 xx
Becka, alas you know my addiction to good quotes and I do appreciate your kind words. 🙂 xx