Oh KBSkyLady, that was beautiful! This is a cliche, but you took the words right out of my mouth. I was lucky in that I never suffered violent physical abuse, I'm so sorry for you. 

[quote]I often think that when a child is immediately picked out as the victim when they start school, you maybe need to look to the home environment, too. A confident, loved child is rarely a victim - and if they are picked on, their sense of self worth helps them stand up to it and send the bully elsewhere.[/quote]

That's so so so SO TRUE. Horrible horrible things happened to me and I never told my parents. I never had the feeling they'd do anything about it anyway. 



In the red, all the cruelty dealt to one big soul 
In the black all the hiding from the pain in the dark 

Now as I go into battle I am armed for the fight
With the knowledge of ten men, strength of nine 
As I walk through fire I am shielded from the flame
Although the guilty parties take no blame 

Don't try to tell me there's no reason for any moment in time
Every memory of mine
Those years are lines of color on my face
My past is warpaint The past is warpaint 


I also like this:

And you can own all the light in the world and still be blind
And lie and hide away from the people in the world and still be kind 


I cannot change what is and I cannot make it die
But I can love with all my heart The wretches gone awry