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Stained and Shattered

Please, don't pray for me.

By KJ AartilaPublished 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago 1 min read
31
Stained and Shattered
Photo by Juan Burgos on Unsplash

Trigger Warning: This poem criticizes religion. It references childhood sexual abuse and incest, questioning enablement by family culture.

He spewed his sins to the unknown priest,

confessing devout faith as needed;

quickly laying guilt at the Devil’s feet

soon after the girl confronted evil.

***

She lay quietly upon the alter,

shattered shards of stained glass. Scattered

in the wind of whispers claiming another

virgin soul by collateral culture.

***

This rigid house is not a cozy home

sheltering only selfishly stolen love

by pervasive demons which may roam

freely, safe in manipulation.

***

Familial minds took communion bites;

praying for traditions to continue

in silenced truths of darkness, never light.

They grasped their worn rosaries, reciting.

***

No higher power protects this haloed child,

though she bows her head every night

Unclaimed innocence selfishly defiled.

The sin would never be his. He confessed.

***

The choir sings, “Hallelujah.”

sad poetry
31

About the Creator

KJ Aartila

A writer of words in northern WI with a small family and a large menagerie.

My Substack

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

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  1. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

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Comments (3)

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  • J. Delaney-Howeabout a year ago

    Very well done on such a raw topic.

  • Dark and powerful, thank you for sharing

  • Cathy holmesabout a year ago

    This is incredibly powerful. Well done.

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