For the child...

For every child who cries at night
Alone with shame and pain and fright

For every child who wants so much
To only feel a gentle touch

For the beaten child, who cries in pain
Whose tears run silent, like the rain

For the child used to satisfy lust
Who never learns to love or trust

For the child taken from her home
And made to feel so all alone

For the child whose home is just a shell
Where life becomes a living hell

For the child who smiles but cannot feel
Because of scars too deep to heal

For every child who yearns for love
I hope and pray to God above
To hear your cries and heal your pain
And give you back your life again

I found this online last night and teared up when I read it. I am someone who was physically and mentally abused from as long as I can remember until the age of 19 by my mother. I can't say I've ever researched child abuse or have come into contact with anyone who went through a similar situation. While it doesn't rule my life, I can't say that it hasn't affected me. But it doesn't consume me. Finding this poem was like validating everything I have gone through and my feelings, which is something I didn't know I needed, but definitely did. It's as if the poet was telling me "you aren't alone, and your feelings were/are valid." I value this poem more than I can say...it has truly touched my soul.