Daddy It Hurts: A Poem About Child Abuse

One of the most difficult aspects of working the Emergency Room is seeing abuse. We see domestic violence (spouse beating), rape and the most difficult of all, child abuse. Someone sent me this poem that I wanted to share with you – and even though you have may have seen it before, I encourage you to read it again. Child abuse is one of those things which is 100% preventable. Maybe you might know someone that you could help and maybe this might encourage you to do something about it.

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My name is Chris

I am three,

My eyes are swollen

I cannot see,

I must be stupid

I must be bad,

What else could have made

My daddy so mad?

I wish I were better

I wish I weren’t ugly,

Then maybe my mommy

Would still want to hug me.

I can’t do a wrong

I can’t speak at all

Or else I’m locked up

All day long.

When I’m awake I’m all alone

The house is dark

My folks aren’t home

When my mommy does come home

I’ll try and be nice,

So maybe I’ll just get

One whipping tonight.

I just heard a car

My daddy is back

From Charlies bar

I hear him curse

My name is called

I press myself

Against the wall

I try to hide

From his evil eyes

I’m so afraid now

I’m starting to cry

He finds me weeping

Calls me ugly words,

He says its my fault

He suffers at work

He slaps and hits me

And yells at me more,

I finally get free

And run to the door

He’s already locked it

And I start to bawl,

He takes me and throws me

Against the hard wall

I fall to the floor

With my bones nearly broken,

And my daddy continues

With more bad words spoken,

‘I’m sorry!’, I scream

But its now much to late

His face has been twisted

Into a unimaginable shape

The hurt and the pain

Again and again

O please God, have mercy!

O please let it end!

And he finally stops

And heads for the door

While I lay there motionless

Sprawled on the floor

My name is Chris

I am three,

Tonight my daddy

Murdered me

And you can help

Sickens me to the soul,

And if you read this

and don’t pass it on

I pray for your forgiveness

Because you would have to be

One heartless person

To not be affected

By this Poem

And because you are affected,

Do something about it!

• Children ages 0-3 are the most likely to experience abuse. About 1 in 50 U.S. infants are victims of nonfatal child abuse or neglect in a year, according to the first national study of the problem in that age group done by the CDC  along with The Federal Administration for Children and Families.
• 1,500 children die every year from child abuse and neglect. That is just over 4 fatalities every day.
• 79% of the children killed are younger than 4.

To learn more about Child Abuse click here.