I Am The Child
You and I have never met
But I am the child you must not forget.
I am the child who whimpered in pain.
I am the child who was beaten and slain.
I am the child who cried at night.
I am the child whose future was bright.
I am the child whose fear was real.
I am the child whose scars won’t heal.
I am the child you see each day,
Who is not your problem, so you turn away.
I am the child, the child so small
Who only wanted to be loved, that’s all.
You and I have never met,
But I am the child you must not forget.
Susan J.
This poem has been used in child abuse prevention programs across the world.
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Susan Jeavons
70 year old mother of 4 and grandmother of many. I am a widow of a Vietnam veteran who passed away from lung cancer related to Agent orange. We were married for 25 years.
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Blends personal trauma narrative with universal child abuse message
Multiple compressed ideas: pain, beating, fear, scars, abandonment per lines
Deeply negative: abuse, pain, abandonment, unhealed scars dominate
Insistent repetition and accusatory tone create moderate intensity
Approximately 12 lines; falls in 7-15 range
Some metaphor (child as symbol) but largely declarative and direct
Pure lyric internal voice; no narrative or dramatic elements present
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