By Ryan Montgomery

I was twelve years old, silence taped to my mouth,
House full of shadows, couldn’t figure a way out.
She wore a smile like it couldn’t do harm,
But monsters don’t always look like alarms.
Daddy knew the truth but he buried it deep,
Chose his comfort over promises he should keep.
Instead of protection, he handed me chains,
Let the system raise me, cell bars and pain.
Told the world I was crazy, told courts I was wrong,
While she wrote letters like she’d done nothing at all.
Gaslight scriptures, rewriting my youth,
Locked me away just to bury the truth.
Now she’s gone, earth cold where her secrets lie,
No confession, no sorry, no reason why.
He’s still breathing but the house stays empty,
Funny how karma don’t rush—but she’s steady.
I grew up in the fire you thought would erase me,
Turned trauma to armor, you couldn’t break me.
I survived what you hid, what you lied to defend,
I’m still standing—this is not how I end.
So this ain’t revenge, it’s reclaiming my name,
Speaking the truth even if it brings shame.
You tried to erase me, rewrite my story,
But I’m grown now—alive—and that’s the glory.

by Susan Sewell

The outside looks perfect, the curtains are drawn,
The white picket fence surrounds a pretty green lawn,
There’s a monster on the inside that you cannot see,
The children are helpless they want to be free,
The thoughts in my head I’ve been too scared to share,
Writing these words helps others be aware,
When your left feeling down, broken and bruised,
Not having much of a start and nothing to lose,
No one to talk to you’re left feeling alone,
Tried calling for help no one answered the phone,
Sitting beside the toilet crying on the floor,
There’s a shiny new razor in the bathroom drawer,
No one will notice it’s just a small blade,
Only shitty thing is I didn’t have first aid,
The pain that I felt I held deep inside,
If I make a small cut, it’s easier to hide,
I can control when and where it’s going to hurt,
As long as no one notices the blood on my shirt,
Who’s gonna care if I cut it too deep,
My darkest secret, I promised to keep,
These intrusive thoughts keep me awake,
How much suffering can one person take?
A few little pills and I’ll be out of this place,
Take me away somewhere lost in space,
My sisters would suffer alone with that monster,
I knew down deep it wasn’t the right answer,
The guilt that I carried deep in my heart,
I loved them dearly right from the start,
The nightmare I was living I couldn’t take anymore,
I didn’t have the courage to walk out the door,
Years have passed since I’ve controlled my own pain,
Writing this poem gives me strength I’ll retain,
I’ve grown up healthy and made myself strong,
That little blade is thankfully gone,
Judgement and shame have been my biggest fears,
I’m not looking for pity I’ve dried my own tears!!

by Vanessa De Freitas

Dear dad I wanted you to hug me when
I was young comfort me in my emotions 
All you ever did was throw tantrums when you didn't get your way 
My mother let you do whatever you wanted because she was afraid of what you'd do 
If she refused
Oh the mental mindgames 
There was no way talking
Seems like everything we did you'd fall into a rage
I had to forgive myself for wanting you to better
And meeting my needs
I had to accept that you were filled with secrets and filled with greed
Wanted that comfort years ago
But it doesn't matter now
I find it makes me struggle getting close to any man 
Father why were you so obtuse
Why did everything we say make you so mad
Rage filled in your heart even call
Your daughter's a C****
Father do you remember all
The years you spent throwing my sister
At a wall and beating my mum
Father why are you such a sociopath 
Wasn't it better to talk it out
Father do you even care of the impact it had on me
You could only say mum was crazy
But the truth is you made her crazy
Father you're fall of lies
It was understandable we were upset
No child or human deserve to live in fear so long
Father you pretend like it never happened 
I accepted that you never would acknowledge 
I had to accept you'd never be the fathwe that I wanted or felt I deserved.
Father I had to survive the impossible 
Father I had to survive the impossible