American Buddhist Poetry Radio EP9 — The Hidden Wound

Bonus track is above. Tonight’s episode is sensitive. We’re talking about sexual abuse—and the way it hides in a country that smiles for the camera. If you’re not in the space for this tonight, protect your peace. Come back when you’ve got more ground under you.This episode starts with truth—because I’m not speaking from theory. I’m speaking from lived experience. I carried my own story in silence for a long time. I only ever said it out loud to one person. And I know what it does to a person when something like that gets buried, when it gets normalized, when it gets shrugged off, when it gets turned into a secret you’re forced to hold alone.And then I zoom out—because it’s bigger than one story.The Epstein files didn’t create this sickness. They just forced a flashlight into a room people have protected for a long time. A room where power, money, and access have been used to harm the most vulnerable. And when the truth starts leaking like that, it doesn’t just expose predators—it exposes the culture of silence around them.This isn’t about “scandal.” This is about children. This is about families. This is about a wound in the nation that too many people have been taught to ignore.So we name the numbers—clean, with respect—because they’re not statistics. They’re lives. And then we go where Street Dharma always goes: what do we do now?Not hate. Not despair. Not numbness.Truth and protection.Inside the episode I offer a simple, grounded practice for adults and parents—five lines that build safety into the air of a home. Nothing fancy. Nothing performative. Just language a child can actually hold onto when something feels wrong.And then I close with a poem—written for survivors. For the ones who never got believed fast enough. For the kids who grew up carrying it alone. For the people trying to reclaim their body, their sleep, their laughter, their life.If you’re still here after listening, I honor you.If you’re a survivor, I’m with you.And if you’re an adult with a child in your life—this is a moment to get serious, get tender, and get brave.Stillness is rebellion. Compassion is a weapon. Peace is within. Carry all. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit monkmodesociety.substack.com/subscribe