You Don't Understand by Bob Shank

You Don't Understand

you don't understand
is a line I often hear
especially from those
who hold pain so dear

rather than share
and relate their misery
they chose to dwell
within their own agony

to say "you don't understand"
is an easy thing to do
but do you really know
what others have been through

I've seen babies
beaten within an inch of their life
done time with husbands
who killed their loving wife

a woman who was raped
and left to die
he cut off her arms and legs
she wondered why

families so poor
dumpsters become a diner
sometimes they splurged
from a trash can liner

just the other day
a woman sold her child
to feed an addiction
that had gotten too wild

go to any nursing home
and visit the elderly
look deep into their desolate eyes
where memories used to be

reach out and comfort them
while holding their hand
whisper in their ear
"you don't understand"..........

Bob Shank-July 17th,2005
pain effects everyone differently, but unfortunately there are far too many who truly do understand, so relish in the fact that you are never alone.....peace