Pain 

I know pain and I know it well, it introduced it self to me an early age and bought me hell.

I know the pain of hunger, the pain of neglec ,the pain of being held tightly by the neck .

I know the pain of walking to school with a hole in my shoe "cardboard" did the trick so no one ever knew

I know the pain of being beaten cursed at and abused, I''ev suffered a lot of pain and now I refused to be used !   I've grown hard over the years and I really had no choice for it's so hard in this world without a voice.

I wish for peace, I want it and need it so very bad with peace I could smile and stop feeling sad.

*Reflections from my child hood that still hurt to this very day 12/22/10 published on 9/16/02     

Mansfield L.Armstead

New year and with god's grace, I'm still here on earth, a heart attack in June of last year, jail on a bullshit domestic voilence harrasmet charge on January,4th of this year, coming from a woman I have delt with over six and a half years, though thick and thin, two pregantces with two diffrent men over six years.    Yes still happy to be here.    MLA