‘Danger’ from ‘Secret Shame: I am a Victim of Incest’ by Martha Janssen

Danger threatened!

I knew I had to get away, but there was no place I could go.

A girl of six can hardly leave the year alone.

I stayed.

Instead, I ran into my mind.

I dodged between the messages of Mother’s eyes and Grandma’s sighs-

messages which said:

don’t tell the truth we cannot bear to hear.

Cowering in the dark recesses of an attic in my head,

I crept behind the broken furniture of my unacceptable rage and fear.

Dust of decades,

my forbidden secret,

settled over me as I choked in guilt

Abandoned and abused,

I sealed the doors so that no one would know.