By Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee/@GeeGranny at Twitter
I cried out for you
You didn't hear me
Mama! Mama, please don't leave me!
I ran hard as I could to catch up with her
No matter how hard I ran ... I never did
A little girl left all alone to fend for herself
In a world of pure torment ... turmoil
In a house that sat ... guarded the portal of Hell
A little girl who knew only cleanliness
Pretty dresses, good things to eat ... love
Had a little brother she adored
Where did he go? Where did Mama go?
The little girl cried herself to sleep
When she woke up ... it was to loud fighting
Fighting with words, fists ... bloodshed
I'll teach you to mess with me, you bitch!
Fists pounding on flesh, big thump of a body hitting the floor
Heart pounding in her little chest
The little girl hid beneath the covers on the bed
Weeping came from the other room
This was the first of many fights she would see
Sometimes, she'd be the one knocked around
She wasn't the only child ... there were more
Their Mamas went away to ... to come back another day
Leaving their children behind to the mercies of the world
Leaving them in a place called ... Hell
Where there were demons, and evil spirits lurking
Hiding in people she loved ... she saw them peep out
Anger would turn them into a devil, possessed
Gnashing of teeth, screaming ... crying
Never any happiness ... only sorrow
A fight each day ... someone being hurt
Blood spotted the old, wooden floor
The little girl got to her knees to look closely
She couldn't believe the spots were blood ... but, they were
Blood beaten out of someone to splatter on the floor
Curses lingered in the very air ... so potent ... evil
Hell's arena ... waiting for its next victim
Mama! Mama, where are you ... please come back
Take me from this scary world ... I'm afraid
Mama didn't come back ... the little girl stayed afraid
The little girl stayed afraid ... without knowing
She began at her young age to build strength
Strength ... that she would need when she became older
Without knowing ... she would travel many painful roads
Without knowing ... she became stronger
Without knowing ... she would be facing the unthinkable
The little girl grew up scarred to her soul
Yet ... she survived it all with strength she didn't know she had
Today that little girl still lives in an older body
Older body of an older woman who remembers
Who looks back at a little girl who was sweet, loving
Mistreated, abused in many ways ... the older woman smiles
She smiles a sadly, thinking ... my, my ... I've come a long ways
I'm fortunate to still be here ... a little girl in an older woman's body
Strength I didn't know I had ... has made me a survivor
A survivor of many things ... too many to count
I've made it to be ... old
Next thing you know ... it'll be time to die
A little girl in an older woman's body
Taking her last breath ... as a child
Going to her maker ... weak as a newborn baby
To be made new ... an angel now
To come back to watch over you
As you gain strength you didn't know you had
Good can come from bad things
It doesn't seem like it could
It can .... and it will all in time
Life is good ... sadly, it can be bad ... too
We have to make the very best of all we go through
Lead the way for others ... show them they can survive
After all, that's what life is truly about
Love, caring ... being strong when others are weak
With the strength you never knew you had ... until you needed it
Author's Note:
Poem/photo written, owned by me ... Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee. I am that little girl.
I remember hearing all that yelling next door. You are so special to have grown up to be the good person you are. Love, Ms. Nancy
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