Silence

Not sure if this is something spread around the whole world, but my family, or well my parents had the saying that whatever happened within our family had to stay within the family.

Silence!  Do not speak!

Quiet! hush now!

Stop talking! You should be ashamed of yourself.

What happens within this family, stays within this family!

Hush! no one must know of this!

Why? Why do you insist on asking questions?

Can¨t you be more like your brother?

What happens in this family, stays in this family!

Listen! no one should ever know of this.

Stop! Will you ever learn?

Don¨t you care about us? Do you even love us?

Hush now!  Stop tattling on your father, its your fault!

Be quiet!  We must protect each other, no matter what!

There is no such thing as abuse!  Whatever you see,

Whatever you hear, must keep quiet about!

Silence! Stop your whining, and stop your crying!

It will pass, you shall learn.

Quiet! we have visitors,stop it right now!

Do not say a thing about what just happened!  Do not say a thing!

What will they think of you and me?  So what if you were hit?

You made him hit you?

Whatever happens within this family, stays within this family.

No one needs to know about our troubles and our heartaches.  You must keep quiet!

Will you ever learn?

Heartache, confusion, is this really the norm?

Are all families like mine?

Why am I not allowed to question, or speak out?

So what is wrong and what is right?

I hate this, all of this, it just does not feel right..

Yet I am told to keep quiet and to hush...

So, this must be normal...

Author's Note

Input welcomed!

Reviews

[barleygirl]

Here you perfectly describe my childhood family, which was full of sexual abuse & violence & yelling, yet we were expected to put on a shiny face to the world becuz my dad had a high position & my mom owned a small business in town. After being "shushed" for most of my life, it has taken me all these years (I'm 61) to finally be able to write of my childhood honestly. I like the way your poem has an urgency & a pressure that can be felt, as the secrecy is enforced. Your questioning mode works well in this situation, as the one who can't make sense of things & that's really how it feels.

[Nicholas Shea]

One suggestion! I think by removing "but I hate it!" from the last line would make that line more powerful.

This is a haunting piece! Well written!

[Maria]

hmm never thought of that, thank you for the suggestion. Much appreciated.

[rowan.taylorrr]

this is so relatable. parents are not to be respected if they abuse you- physically or mentally. i love the pain felt in this and it's very sad but very true

[Maria]

Well, in the end, once I stopped fighting all this, I came to terms with them and myself and in spite of everything I forgave my mom first cause in the end, she was blinded, and we were able to repair our relationship later on, My dad is more challenging, and set in his way,s yet in the end, I am as messed up as he is and I have learned to forgive him as well, and just love him as much as allows me to, and no longer hold in that rage and bitterness I used to have

[rowan.taylorrr]

that's a very brace and strong thing to do

[rowan.taylorrr]

brave* sorry lol

[Alice Maria]

So upsetting to know that as a human race, we have still not evolved enough to stop this. I'm sorry you had to go through something like this. Stay strong and great poem.

[Maria]

Thanks I appreciate your encouragement and input as well.

[Alice Maria]

You're welcome. Can you please read some of my work if you have the time?

[Maria]

Sure thing, will do.

[Kesha]

A sad read for this seems to be everywhere these days unfortunately. A great piece that speaks volumes and gives insight to others lives

[Maria]

Yes, I totally agree with you in this.

[wordman]

lol, i can remember these sayings,but they sometimes run much deeper for people

[Maria]

For me it meant to hide, the fact that my father was an abuser, he abused my mom, and controlled her every moves and even finances; lying about the bruises, I would get, from his beatings, and told to say, I fell down the stairs, in order to, Protect my dad,....and so much more that I got to the point of growing tired of being told to keep quiet and started looking for ways to tell the truth as I saw it, and was nearly killed by my father and almost drove insane by his constant rebuttals.

[wordman]

well that`s what i meant by some people go deeper,sorry you had to go through that crap

[Maria]

Yeah, I understood what you meant, and just wanted to give you a small, very small insight, of what it meant for me, as a child, and even as a young adult, until I was able to face the truth in the face. But thanks. I will never give up, plus got my daughter, whom I love and will do my best to be there for her, whenever she needs me.