The Nail Prints
By Peggy Harris, June 3, 1993. "Verses of Hope" Dedicated to all those who bear the nail prints of abuse, whether it is sexual, physical, psychological, or spiritual.  This is the poem with no ending until we are in eternity.

The first nail print touched me at about age seven or eight,
        When a trusted uncle touched me in an inappropriate way.
                I never told anyone.
                I never forgot.

The second nail print touched me when I was about eleven,
        When a family friend, an employee of my father,
        Touched me in an inappropriate way.
                I never told anyone.
                I never forgot.

The third nail print touched me at age thirteen,
        When our family doctor touched me twice inappropriately.
Once was in our home, while he was there helping treat
        The Native Americans who came to my mother's clinic.
Once was in his office during a routine check up.
                I never told anyone.
                I never forgot.

I never told anyone for over forty-five years.
        Those events are still etched in the recesses of my mind.
        Those nail print scars are permanent.
        Even though life goes on,
         The memory of those events is indelible.

WHY?????????????????????????????????????

I don't know if the first nail
        Was driven into His right hand
        Or if the second nail
        Was driven into His left hand,
But the third nail went into both His feet.
        He was nailed naked to the cross.
        The nails were hammered, piercing, tearing, and hurting.
                Yet He was innocent.

Never had the universe seen such an unholy shocking event.
        And it happened to their Kind Creator.
        His agony, His broken heart shrieked throughout heaven,
        Tearing at His Father's heart.

WHY?????????????????????????????????????

Why did He have to die in such indignity?
He could have just as well died some other more respected way.
It was bad enough that this Glorious God had to give up
        So much because of our sin.
        Yet He bore the pain of innocents hurt by sin.
        His nail prints are not only for life,
        They are there for us to see for all eternity.

The nail prints are reminders that He suffered as we suffer,
        He understands our pain,
        And those indelible scars we carry,
        Throughout our life.
  He remembers that this kind of suffering children and adults
        Will carry throughout this life and
        Will only be healed in eternity.

We can share this Hope with each other, to ease our pain.
We can protect other little children
        From what we suffered,
        By lifting our voice,
        By speaking out strongly,
        By not continuing the silence.

We can bring to accountability
  Those who perpetrate crimes
  Of abuse, harassment, and misconduct.
Abuse must not continue on and on and on......................

This page last updated on Sunday January 29, 2006 11:18 AM

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