Lost Innocence

**Poetry isn't just an expression for love, sensuality and passion.  Poetry can also express the hidden pain and trauma hidden; that is what I call Raw Poetry.  Such type of poetry isn't always easy to read as it forces us to confront the ugliness that exists around us; most would rather not look at the monster straight up but for those who have felt pain and experienced horror, this type of poetry is a form of release which is very much needed to be able to heal those parts which may still "bleed" every once in a while.  
--Rough copy--

 
The saddest verses come forth tonight 
About the spirit of a young girl
Who was killed while alive
I can see her within distant memories
Far gone, yet present tonight.

I can see the shivering hands
The broken body left behind
Nobody listened to the haunted screams
Screams hidden behind silenced tears
Nobody dared to look directly at her brown eyes
They shut their hearts as they shut their eyes.

I can see her clearly...
Hope leaves her eyes,
As another night devours the day
Her heart races,
The sound of their footsteps get closer
She can recognize their smell
Reminding her of cigarettes, booze and hell.

Fingers covered her fragile lips
Live vultures, they devoured the soul through her skin
Beautiful they called her
But a slave to their sickness is what she was.

As morning would come, they would forget what was done
While others praised their masks and bowed with respect
She was mortally wounded
Yet nobody cared
The chains they imposed...
The pain...
She was but the walking dead.

One day she screamed out loud...
The nightmares
Her hell

She hoped to be saved 
For justice to take place
Yet their wives covered their ears
Without mercy, they turned their backs
Her silence they tried to buy, like a common slut.

"Sinner" they called her
Yet monsters drank her blood at night
The girl is no longer here; she was "purified"
Her mind turned inside out
Yet she was "sanctified".

She disappeared far from their reach
So far inside she hid
Terrified was the kid.

She sat on the edge of a dangerous wall
"I could let myself die" She thought 
"I could fall on the sharp edges of my wounds
I can die on the chaotic line of merciless shadows
Let me drown in oblivion; who will remember me?
Who will hear my cries?
I can die defeated and deserted one more time"

She sat there until she lost track of time
Until out of the horror, darkness brought forth light
She found strength 
She found what is divine!

Out of a forgotten place a warrior rises back
Like a phoenix rising, her shadow becomes soul
From the depths of Tartarus her strength is given
A place found on no altar
Nor make believe heaven
There the sins of monsters are not forgiven.

Her eyes witnessed what lies beyond
From the deepest realms of her soul she is sent back
She is like water for those who thirst to understand life
Her voice to reach those who are forgotten
Those hurting....
Those left behind.

"Do not cry to those who don't care"
"Do not blame yourself"
"Do not hide"

"Do not let them label you
Nor take their punishments
Face them with pride
Make your life the sword by which you fight back"

"God does not ask for you to be on your knees
God does not need you to beg for mercy and cry
God doesn't care about your constant prayers
God is found within nor without"

As the dark night of the soul covers her
Life embraces her broken spirit every time
She is the stone by which others will rise
Whenever she feels broken
She can hear life talk back...

Gold refined by fire
A diamond in the rough is what you are
The journey will not be easy 
But I have made you tough
Warrior, child, mother, Goddess
That, is who you are.

Stand up and raise those beautiful eyes
For the life you wanted is within reach
Of  your capable hands. 

-Sofia E. Falcone-