Phantoms of Yesterday
by Sean Michael, August 2012
Marred, she stands with the phantoms of yesterday.
—Humanity-Phantoms, Dark Souls
She invites them to be seated with us and cast their shade,
Strip away the masquerades…
She tells me in a quiet tone,
That a black man snatched her, took her,
And damaged her with his lust.
He threatened her, he enjoyed her,
Said he would take her to a place where other men like him
would enjoy her.
“You’re mine, white girl.”
He attempted to destroy her.
I was speechless watching the phantoms dance morbidly.
Then: “Those fucking niggers,” I seethed.
She said: “Don’t say that. Don’t hate them all because a
stupid one hurt me when I was sixteen.”
“It’s not just blacks… I think I hate everyone,” I said.
“And everything.”
She left me there on the sofa, taking her phantoms
and leaving me with my own.
Posted for dVerse Poets, Open Link Night #156, September 18, 2015
Mad Poet Enchained 
Ugh. To be so wrapped in the hate,
it is consuming.
I can appreciate the anger at stories like hers – but we have to be careful with over generalizations.
Or it will become that hate of everyone and everything.
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This is true. It was difficult story to listen to. Already so full of anger and hate, it was only reason to feel more and to direct it somewhere new.
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A beautiful tale of love and hate – very soulful. If one person wrongs, it often creates a very wrong impression to a larger community. You handled such a sensitive matter very subtly and most importantly showing the right direction.
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Yes, that’s true.
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“I think I hate everyone”…I can attest to that thinking as a SA survivor. Thankfully it can be overcome by love, patience…a lifetime’s worth from a faithful few.
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Love does prevail.
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It understandable the hate, but hate destroys. Forgiveness builds.
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I too know that hate destroys. the woman’s message, I believe, was forgiveness and through her pain she told me this.
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Powerful message here. We all have our phantoms…maybe he needs to speak of his so perhaps they won’t follow him around for the rest of his life.
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Perhaps so.
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Oh hate.. contagion
of all darkness
and no
vaccination
but Love..
whenever
it comes..
no guarantees
of it.. of course..
only
hope
to Live
Love
as
WHOLE..:)
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“Love as a vaccination” — I like that.
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