Child protection, separation
A Family Law application
Promises made through litigation
Mistook their care for obligation
My father was too sick
His heart was failing
A direct result
From all the inhaling
Exposed to violence
The police won’t help you
Fear in every breath
But danger in silence, too
So mother and I relocated
To a town very far away
Quickly became isolated
At least we were by the bay
My mother battled things unseen
That sometimes took its toll
Night where pain would intervene
And swallow self-control
One October night
The hurt ran deeper than before
This wasn’t just a fight
It opened up a door
Once she passed out
I packed a bag of some essentials
Adrenaline coursing now
I could feel this action’s potential
Quietly snuck out
With no hesitation
The street I was running down
Was my only destination
A changed environment
Now close to the city
Everything was new
The reality yet to hit me
This house was so nice
It didn’t reek of cigarettes
So what do we do now?
Guardianship, they said
With the court orders received
I saw the lines that gave me away
Abandoned by my creators
Overlooked those who signed for me to stay
How do I move forward
When I am plagued by my emotions
Burdened by the past
I learnt to crave all the commotion
True grit and resolve
It took many years to heal
What is this?
Love, I think I feel
This too shall pass
That’s precisely the problem
I wasn’t ready for it to pass
I have only just started to blossom
How hard it is to trust adults
After a childhood like mine
Mistakes and disappointment
It appears I’m the adult this time
Acceptance and commitment
A therapy for your pain
The cure is forgiveness
I shall ask for it again
The kinship has sailed,
But it still holds strong
Perhaps this voyage to new horizons
May teach me where I belong.
