There's a little girl inside you.
Do you see her?
If you look real hard you might find her.
Do you see her now?
I know she's really hard to see,
because you've had her buried
a very long time.
Look a little closer.
She's been hiding a long time,
afraid to come out,
not even knowing who
she was herself.
Shes been hiding inside herself,
where no one else could see.
Everyone thought they knew her,
but they didn't.
Everything that was in her life,
the pain, the grief,
was stored and hidden
in a very quiet place.
It was private.
She even forgot where she hid it.
She did it on purpose.
She had to survive.
This little girl, so tender
so alive, yet a stone.
Not knowing her own feelings,
open to all yet so alone.
Stones do not feel,
and have no hearts to break,
stones don't analyze
all the give and no take.
When did you first
take notice of the little girl?
When did you realize
she mattered?
When did you realize
that her pain had to surface
and she had to reappear
like a ghost from the past?
When did you find that
this little one had dreams
and plans and schemes,
and hope for a future?
When did you realize
that you loved her,
and took her hand, and accepted
her for what she is?
When did you realize
that it's ok to be free, and its alright to cry,
and when did you discover
that little girl is you?
Dedicated to all the adult children that have been hurt
by abusive parents or family
Copyright ©2003~Nancy Carico Dittert
