Four Years Old
The End of Innocence124 total reviews
Comment from kintesiegel
This is exceedingly hard to read but I was curious because you received the poem of the month. The last line is poignant and powerful. Congrats.
reply by the author on 27-Mar-2010
  |
This is exceedingly hard to read but I was curious because you received the poem of the month. The last line is poignant and powerful. Congrats.
Comment Written 26-Mar-2010
reply by the author on 27-Mar-2010
-
Thank you for your thoughts on this piece my friend.
Curt
Comment from Alison Williams
Wow, Curt, all I can say is this poem horrified me even as I admired the power of the words used and the construction of it. This is well deserving of the Poem of the Month win. It was powerful, gritty, sad and confronting.
It makes me sick to think about what people do to children, kudos to you for having the guts and strength to put it out there. As much as we hate to think it happens, even as much as one wishes they could skip such a horrible, dingy, perverted topic, it grips you and pulls you in, and you have to read. It needs to be said and faced.
Technical issues - the first two lines immediately draw the reader's horrified attention, the entire poem riveted me with the use of powerful words.
Tied to a chair with my jump rope - the use of a restraint, which is supposed to be a fun play toy and activity has strong impact, the juxtaposition of pain and fear, against innocent play (the jumprope activities).
My four year old boy just walked in and looking at him, his large innocent eyes, cheeky grin, happy cuddles and wise four year old words when he expresses opinions, it just makes my heart break to imagine him on the other end of that, I can't even envision it. Even the very act, I just... can't even see how people could... It's disturbing and induces a helpless feeling in me, so how much more would it be for a child, particularly one who believes the one person in the world who should protect and believe him, turns her back and betrays him?
Four year olds don't lie about things like that. God, perhaps about the fact that they've dropped a plate, or drawn on the couch with texta, yeah, but something like that? HOw would they even know what it is to say it? Unless it was experienced?
My Mother said I always lied
and said so til the day she died
but four year olds don't lie with blood
and bedsheets stained with fecal mud. - This almost made me cry at the double sense of betrayal, not only by a monster of a man, but by the one person who should protect and nurtured their child, the one person who is the centre of a child's life, their mother.
And then the scarier part is, that it can happen behind anyone's closed doors. In a different circumstance, not involving sexual abuse, but domestic, a mother near us, whose children are friends with my daughter, are separated due to domestic violence. I swear I had no clue. It makes me wonder, when I look at my classroom of students, or at the kids in Samantha's school, how many of them are suffering behind closed doors?
Has it become more prevalent in our society? Or is it just that more and more people are speaking out and it is coming into the light of day?
It's a sad, sick person who perpetrates such cruel inhumanity against anyone, but most particularly against an innocent and helpless child. I say again, my punishment for them is to be castrasted, made to eat their privates and then hung, drawn and quartered.
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
 |
Wow, Curt, all I can say is this poem horrified me even as I admired the power of the words used and the construction of it. This is well deserving of the Poem of the Month win. It was powerful, gritty, sad and confronting.
It makes me sick to think about what people do to children, kudos to you for having the guts and strength to put it out there. As much as we hate to think it happens, even as much as one wishes they could skip such a horrible, dingy, perverted topic, it grips you and pulls you in, and you have to read. It needs to be said and faced.
Technical issues - the first two lines immediately draw the reader's horrified attention, the entire poem riveted me with the use of powerful words.
Tied to a chair with my jump rope - the use of a restraint, which is supposed to be a fun play toy and activity has strong impact, the juxtaposition of pain and fear, against innocent play (the jumprope activities).
My four year old boy just walked in and looking at him, his large innocent eyes, cheeky grin, happy cuddles and wise four year old words when he expresses opinions, it just makes my heart break to imagine him on the other end of that, I can't even envision it. Even the very act, I just... can't even see how people could... It's disturbing and induces a helpless feeling in me, so how much more would it be for a child, particularly one who believes the one person in the world who should protect and believe him, turns her back and betrays him?
Four year olds don't lie about things like that. God, perhaps about the fact that they've dropped a plate, or drawn on the couch with texta, yeah, but something like that? HOw would they even know what it is to say it? Unless it was experienced?
My Mother said I always lied
and said so til the day she died
but four year olds don't lie with blood
and bedsheets stained with fecal mud. - This almost made me cry at the double sense of betrayal, not only by a monster of a man, but by the one person who should protect and nurtured their child, the one person who is the centre of a child's life, their mother.
And then the scarier part is, that it can happen behind anyone's closed doors. In a different circumstance, not involving sexual abuse, but domestic, a mother near us, whose children are friends with my daughter, are separated due to domestic violence. I swear I had no clue. It makes me wonder, when I look at my classroom of students, or at the kids in Samantha's school, how many of them are suffering behind closed doors?
Has it become more prevalent in our society? Or is it just that more and more people are speaking out and it is coming into the light of day?
It's a sad, sick person who perpetrates such cruel inhumanity against anyone, but most particularly against an innocent and helpless child. I say again, my punishment for them is to be castrasted, made to eat their privates and then hung, drawn and quartered.
Comment Written 26-Mar-2010
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
-
Thank you Alison,
I am honored by your rating and thoughts on this subject.
I think we all tend to look at everyone else's world as our own relaity perceives it, never realizing just how different our little bubbles can be.
Thank you once again for your thoughts my friend, I truly appreciate them.
Curt
Comment from siobhand
must admit I skipped this initially, because of the warnings and read it because you won the poem of the month.how brave of you. These things i wonder..at what stage does a child go from being a beautiful child (for they are all beautiful are they not?) into a monster? Why does it not require a licence to become a parent?
animals take better care of their offspring than humans. we should not be allowed to breed if we can't take care of our children.
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
|
must admit I skipped this initially, because of the warnings and read it because you won the poem of the month.how brave of you. These things i wonder..at what stage does a child go from being a beautiful child (for they are all beautiful are they not?) into a monster? Why does it not require a licence to become a parent?
animals take better care of their offspring than humans. we should not be allowed to breed if we can't take care of our children.
Comment Written 26-Mar-2010
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
-
I guess in the sum of all things, this is perhaps just another question to ask the source.
Take care my friend,
Curt
Comment from missy98writer
Curt,
I was both saddened and angered by your awesome poem. It takes a vile monster to sexually abuse a child. They deserve to die for molesting children. Its a shame a mom won't believe a child over the man in her life and bed. I feel women who allow this to go on are just as guilty as the molester. I see why your poem won the poem of the month. Dark narrative. But powerful words are required. This stanza was very powerful:
My Mother said I always lied
and said so til the day she died
but four year olds don't lie with blood
and bedsheets stained with fecal mud.
Melissa.
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
|
Curt,
I was both saddened and angered by your awesome poem. It takes a vile monster to sexually abuse a child. They deserve to die for molesting children. Its a shame a mom won't believe a child over the man in her life and bed. I feel women who allow this to go on are just as guilty as the molester. I see why your poem won the poem of the month. Dark narrative. But powerful words are required. This stanza was very powerful:
My Mother said I always lied
and said so til the day she died
but four year olds don't lie with blood
and bedsheets stained with fecal mud.
Melissa.
Comment Written 26-Mar-2010
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
-
Melissa,
I am truly touched by the thoughts you express.
Thank you,
Curt
Comment from closetpoetjester
This is a very deserving winner of Poem of the Month. You have managed to tap into the tortured soul of a four year old suffering at the hands of an absolutely vile human being. This outlined the absolute disgust, shame and hopelessness of a situation and a cry for help that went unheard.
An absolutely compelling and quite brilliant piece.
Cheers for an enlightening and humbling read. How sorry I felt for this tiny little boy who is probably all grown up but the feelings of helplessness would re-emerge to haunt his tortured soul forever. I have a 4 year old and cannot imagine him in this position at all. Incomprehensible.
I hope what goes around comes back around to the piece of pond scum that was the abuser.
Sincerely Closetpoetjester
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
|
This is a very deserving winner of Poem of the Month. You have managed to tap into the tortured soul of a four year old suffering at the hands of an absolutely vile human being. This outlined the absolute disgust, shame and hopelessness of a situation and a cry for help that went unheard.
An absolutely compelling and quite brilliant piece.
Cheers for an enlightening and humbling read. How sorry I felt for this tiny little boy who is probably all grown up but the feelings of helplessness would re-emerge to haunt his tortured soul forever. I have a 4 year old and cannot imagine him in this position at all. Incomprehensible.
I hope what goes around comes back around to the piece of pond scum that was the abuser.
Sincerely Closetpoetjester
Comment Written 26-Mar-2010
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
-
Thank you my friend,
Your comments are well taken and most appreciated. It is a common trait of man that we live each of us in our own bubble of reality, never considering just how different the bubbles of others can be.
Thank you again my friend,
Curt
Comment from JMRoland
Hi Curt,
This sad, shocking poem is well-constructed and well-rhymed. It speaks eloquently of hateful, bullying wickedness and violent sexual perversion inflicted upon a small, defenseless child. The Bible is very clear on the subject of mistreating children: In Matthew 18:6 Jesus declares: "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which beileve in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." Your tormentor will not go unpunished.
JMR
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
|
Hi Curt,
This sad, shocking poem is well-constructed and well-rhymed. It speaks eloquently of hateful, bullying wickedness and violent sexual perversion inflicted upon a small, defenseless child. The Bible is very clear on the subject of mistreating children: In Matthew 18:6 Jesus declares: "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which beileve in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." Your tormentor will not go unpunished.
JMR
Comment Written 26-Mar-2010
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
-
Thank you my friend,
In the world of what comes around, goes around, I truly believe that justice will ultimately prevail.
Blessings,
Curt
Comment from Zoe Yates
Well the hope is this isn't true but the inclusion of your picture is probably an indicator that it is true. It's the kind of poem that leaves one disgusted, angry, disturbed. It makes me want to eliminate this kind of garbage from the earth. It makes me want to build a time machine. It's very powerful...it is an important piece in that it can carry the truth to those in power...there is not enough protection for children against predators..maybe this can help somehow.
Good job. Zoe Yates
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
|
Well the hope is this isn't true but the inclusion of your picture is probably an indicator that it is true. It's the kind of poem that leaves one disgusted, angry, disturbed. It makes me want to eliminate this kind of garbage from the earth. It makes me want to build a time machine. It's very powerful...it is an important piece in that it can carry the truth to those in power...there is not enough protection for children against predators..maybe this can help somehow.
Good job. Zoe Yates
Comment Written 26-Mar-2010
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
-
Thank youZoe,
I truly appreciate your thoughts my friend.
Take care,
Curt
Comment from hotstuff
I can understand why your poem won the competition of poem of the month. Congratulations. You write this poem with such a range of human emotion that I am not sure if it is true to you or not. I hope not. Regardless of this, I can understand that this poem must have taken a lot of courage to write and post. It leaves nothing to the imagination and the abuse of the innocent four year is horrific to read about. Adults like this should be given the death sentence. Sadly a lot are not ever prosecuted because as your poem states, the children are not believed, or are too frightened to say anything about it. That mother is beyond contempt as it was obvious that her child was not lying. I feel like crying now I have read your poem. It has wrecked me.
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
|
I can understand why your poem won the competition of poem of the month. Congratulations. You write this poem with such a range of human emotion that I am not sure if it is true to you or not. I hope not. Regardless of this, I can understand that this poem must have taken a lot of courage to write and post. It leaves nothing to the imagination and the abuse of the innocent four year is horrific to read about. Adults like this should be given the death sentence. Sadly a lot are not ever prosecuted because as your poem states, the children are not believed, or are too frightened to say anything about it. That mother is beyond contempt as it was obvious that her child was not lying. I feel like crying now I have read your poem. It has wrecked me.
Comment Written 26-Mar-2010
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
-
Thank you for all your thoughts and comments my friend, I truly appreciate them.
Curt
Comment from Harrisa
This is a terribly sad poem, but the rhyming is so natural and the flow is so smooth. But this poem broke my heart because I know so many abused children are not heard or believed.
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
|
This is a terribly sad poem, but the rhyming is so natural and the flow is so smooth. But this poem broke my heart because I know so many abused children are not heard or believed.
Comment Written 26-Mar-2010
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
-
Thank you, I am honored by your rating and by your thoughts my friend.
Sincerely,
Curt
Comment from Kathryn Varuzza
Curt,
Wow.
Powerful.
I'd give you a 6 star if I had one.
Well written.
I'm sorry.
Good rhymes.
Nice photo.
Kathryn
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
|
Curt,
Wow.
Powerful.
I'd give you a 6 star if I had one.
Well written.
I'm sorry.
Good rhymes.
Nice photo.
Kathryn
Comment Written 26-Mar-2010
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2010
-
Thank you Kathryn,
Your comments are all the six I could want to have.
Sincerely,
Curt
-
You're welcome Curt.
Kathryn
