Do You See Him?
15 Apr 2018 · 3 min

2:36
Dr. John A. King performs a spoken-word monologue about childhood sexual abuse and its lasting trauma. The piece traces abuse from boyhood into adulthood and examines survival and recovery.

Dr. John A. King performs a spoken-word monologue about childhood sexual abuse and its lasting trauma. The piece traces abuse from boyhood into adulthood and examines survival and recovery.
The moon is black and the ground is cold. She wants to get out of town. He wants to get laid. Do you see him? He is 2. He is her gorgeous boy. Blonde hair, brown eyes, giggling, standing, falling, never giving in. Do you see him? He is 4. He is a playful boy. He is playing a game Daddy likes to watch too. They put food in Mummy's nana and he has to get it out with his tongue. Do you see him? He is 5. He is a naughty boy. They are putting his little green soldiers in and out of his bottom really hard and fast to teach him to put his toys away. Do you see him? He is 7. He is a lying boy. He is hiding in the bushes next door. That is just not true. No mother would do something like that to her son, they tell him as they drag him home. Do you see him? He is 9. He's a good boy. He crawls under their dresses and makes her friends tingle, just like you do for Mummy. Sometimes they even take pictures. Do you see him? He is 11. He is a naked boy. Daddy watches as the other men laugh at his hairless body. They take turns pulling his dick to make it grow. The pliers hurt the most. Do you see him? He is 13. He is a lonely boy. The scout leader says, let me hold it for you. That's how we become friends. Do you see him? He is 45. He is a screaming man curled in a ball, sobbing. Body shudders with memories that are shattering his soul and breaking his mind. Do you see him? Here's 50, a broken man, nursing a bottle and sucking a barrel. Do you see him? Here's 53. He is a relentless man. His arse will always bleed and his eyes will never be dry. Do you see him? He is a survivor too. That'll do, fellas.