Poems

It Was No Accident

A Call For Healing by Tom Shaw

A man carves his own gravestone under a withered tree.

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedThe sinner lacks stupor
for he knows of his crime -
he knew what was best,
yet he chose to do harm,
and he will not repent,
for he deserted God.

The victim lacks justice,
for he is stuck in a rhyme -
he knew he was wronged,
yet won't make things right.
Of abundance he is scared,
so holds on to scarcity.

The people lack vigour,
for they won’t make the time -
they know they've been tricked
by sinners, victims,
yet choose to be kicked
and become the abuser.

It Was No Accident - A Poem by Tom Shaw

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As well as being available in my book, From A Dying Empire Near You, this poem is also available as a framed print from my Shop.

I’d had it written for a while before I originally posted it. I had recently discovered the excellent “Mistakes Were NOT Made” by Margaret Anna Alice, and this piece certainly contains some of that same energy but in a broader societal context. I also recall having a lot of conversations at the time with my mentor on how people come to perpetrate the same kind of abuse in later life that was inflicted on them in childhood and adolescence if that trauma is not dealt with. These two themes married together in the poem that you have just read.

I originally titled this poem “It Was Never Stupidity”, but on revisiting this piece while preparing to publish this piece here, something about it no longer sat right with me. Suddenly, the idea of “It Was No Accident” came to me, which feels like it better conveys the cause-and-effect scenario that the poem presents. It also comes directly from a line in Sleep Token’s “Chokehold” - a song all about choosing to uphold and submit to abusive relationships, which marries with the contents of this poem. Which title rings more true for you? I’d be curious to know in the comments.