Thank you and congratulations to the people of Ballarat for speaking out. This poem is dedicated to you.
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Take Courage
To lose your innocence as a child
To have nowhere to go, to cry, to hide
To live in fear, bereft of love and care
To have self esteem stripped and laid bare
For parents who missed the signs of abuse
And believed the child difficult and obtuse
For priests who live to support others
Who've been betrayed by priest-less brothers
Take courage
The years of hurt are laced with shame
The anger misdirected to hold your game
The loss of ability to relate
The loss of children as they escape
The bewilderment of loved ones as they see
The loss of person, who you want to be
The pain increased with pain relief
Of drugs, drink, depression and grief
Take courage
You have taken a road less travelled
And allowed your past to all unravel
You've opened up the wound of pus
You've told your stories to all of us
Take courage
As other victims learned of your fate
It allowed them finally to relate
To know the past on which they dwell
Sharing can help, the fear dispel
The web of shame has been broken
You have done this when you have spoken
Take courage