The trauma that comes from being sexual assaulted in any way can be incredibly debilitating and isolating. Experiencing sexual abuse can leave a person feeling like they are completely alone in the world, even if they have a huge support system. As a survivor of sexual assault, I can tell you that in addition to the crushing guilt and confusion, I felt sure no one could ever understand what I had been through. The following poem was originally written to help me process what I had been through. I share it with all of you now to let those of you who have been sexually abused know that you are absolutely not alone. I, and many others, have experienced similar events and felt similar pain. I pray for a day when there is no stigma surrounding sexual assault, that those of us who have been there can feel proud of surviving instead of blanketed in shame.
The Rose
A fledgling rose emerges tentatively from the thawing ground
catching a glimpse of her reflection in a nearby riverbed.
She becomes luminescent, haughty as she drinks in
the beauty emanating from her every pore.
The innocent purity that is imbued in her every fiber
draws the attention of others close by
unfurling within them a plague of
longing and desire too mighty to suppress.
But a veil of blissful ignorance
blinds the rose from the horrors that surround.
Thoroughly engaged in childish whimsy
she fails to notice the wolf nearby
his teeth bared and eyes gleaming
as they survey the opportunity presented.
Catching the rose in utter surprise,
he tears her velvety petals one by one
dropping them coldly and viciously on the unforgiving earth.
And there remains a once vibrantly red flower
suddenly translucent,
lying in a puddle of her bleeding scarlet hues.
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