This pain, this stress, this suffering,
I’ve felt and touched it, too.
Life is much more than this
This joy, this calm, this rejoicing,
I’ve felt and touched it, too.
Life has much more of this.
Take my hand, come my friend.
We cross to the other shore.
The waters are fierce and fast.
The waters are cold and deep.
But first we must calm our minds
To avoid false warning signs.
Breathing in, I am still.
Breathing out, I am strong.
Alone no one can cross.
Together we live to tell.
Alone no one can escape.
Together we climb from hell.
Hope, joy, and love are true.
So come my friend, take my hand.
Together we cross, together we flee.
Together we are a raft.
My healing is bound to yours.
Our old wounds are still fresh.
So come my friend, take my hand.
We cross to the other shore.
Author Statement
Writing this poem was for me an opportunity to share my hope and gratitude. I’m a survivor of
childhood sexual violence, and I’m also a firm believer that nothing is lost. The innocence I once
had is still there beneath the rubble. The hope and joy are still there, too
My healing journey has been like crossing to the other shore of a violently flowing river. I tried
to cross alone many times, always turning back. Those experiences taught me that I can’t cross
alone. I discovered, just as many before me, that two survivors together are a trustworthy raft.
Together we survivors can cross to the other shore, the other side of trauma and pain. Writing
this poem was a way to share my conviction. We recover. We heal. We triumph.
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