The soul injustice of childhood sexual abuse is buried within the secrets of our prolonged silence.

It is the unseen tragedy of being separated from my own loving essence.

The plight of confusion that ensues when the heart and mind are no longer in unison.

The moment that unwanted violations took our bodies hostage, 

Left our minds wandering without a comfortable presence to give it refuge.

Protecting ourselves against another person’s indiscretions is a torn act of courage.

Like the martyrdom of a mother shielding her babe from enemy siege, 

By collapsing her own corpse into a human barricade.

A part of us instinctively volunteered to die so that another part of us could escape. 

The soul injustice is that this sacrifice seldom receives our own praise. 

Because our minds are forced to flee from the stillness of grace. 

And our bodies cannot trust the thoughts that hold our own feelings in contempt.

This internal feud that many survivors choose not to vent,

Is a soul injustice of paying for a crime that we did not commit.

AUTHOR: INI ANANA

IMAGE: AUTHOR’S OWN