Safety

Safety

For the child who took the blows
For the child who hid under the table
For the child who took the blame to keep the peace
For the child who was misunderstood
For the child who was always at fault
For the child who always smiled but thought about running away
For the child in war who never knew peace
For the child who never measured up
For the child who saw their mother die
For the child who had no father
For the child who tore her prettiest dress
For the child who couldn’t learn
For the child who was never good enough
For the child dragged to the cellar
For the child who didn’t know who they were
For the child who was always too much
For the child who got punished again
For the child who was obedient
For the child who was always afraid
For the child who didn’t want to go home
For the child who wanted to go home as fast as possible
For the child who had to be the adult
For the child who was different
For the child who had to protect her little sister
For the child who knew hate
For the child who was beautiful
For the child who never heard a bird sing
For the child who was betrayed
For the child with the loud mouth
For the child who kept doing what you weren’t supposed to do
For the child who was excluded
For the child who always met all expectations
For the child who was bullied at school
For the child who had to keep a secret
For the child who had to flee to another country
For the child who didn’t want to be a girl
For the child who was Black
For the child who was never believed
For the child who was happy
For the child who only knew silence
For the child who cried every night
For the child who was never held
For the child who lost their dreams
For the child who always had to tiptoe
For the child who lived in the shadows
For the child who reads this and whose experience wasn't listed

To the adult who was once a child,
I wish you safety.

Written, sometime last year,
Love, Chantal