Virginia Giuffre
For Virginia
father’s rape taught her rules
sheltered acts via patriarchy;
she, an object to be (ab)used
mouth used for unspeakable
until, broken, obliteration’s silence
child at play depends on care
safety, warmth, needs are met
gross flipping of foundation’s script
trauma-twisted her development
father’s rape taught her rules
swapped with neighbor’s daughter
while mothers drank to blindness
two men allies got their pervy jollies
who never feared accountability
sheltered acts via patriarchy
gang-raped by schoolmates
father got her work at Mar-a-lago
plucked by a perv’s handler
to make monsters’ fantasies real
father paid off with sick dowry
she, an object to be (ab)used
already broken in from age seven
what followed a matter of degree
trappings of riches degrading cage
drugged up psyched out numbed
mouth used for unspeakable
from frying pan, into burning fire
an abusive husband, pattern set
she yearned for release as she
screamed, screamed the truth
until broken, obliteration’s silence
Merril is today’s host of dVerse’ Meeting the Bar/Form. Merril would like us to write a cascade form poem. My poem is for Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein and Maxwell’s many, many victims. Virginia passed away April 25, 2025.
Tao Talk 
I found this YouTube video.
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Jim, thank you for sharing the video. Virginia did the best she could to get the truth out there, but the protective shield of patriarchy keeps doing what it was designed to do: protect the rich and powerful. Reading her book, learning about the number of times she flew around the globe to testify and share her story was mind-boggling.
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awful content, good poem
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Thank you, Catherin.
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I’m so glad you wrote this, Lisa. Thank you for pulling no punches with it. I wrote a few poems about the whole horror story too but haven’t shared them because I’ve no doubt they’d be triggering. I must read her memoir, thanks for sharing it.
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Sunra, thank you. Reading her book was triggering for me. I was just thinking a minute ago that not one, not a single one, of my abusers was ever brought to justice. Even more, not one was ever brought to the attention of the police. I know in my heart that there are millions of victims out there in that same situation. When. When will a day come when it will not be tolerated?
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❤️💔
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Thank you for writing about her, Li. It is so horrible that these men –including the one in the White House–are getting away with these crimes.
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You’re welcome, Merril. It boggles the mind how they keep getting away with it.
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It does.
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A very heartbreaking poem Li. How can this even happen?
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Very good question, Sadje. It is rampant in our society.
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That is so sad.
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Powerful poem Lisa! It needs to be said.
JIM
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Thank you very much. Despite all of her exploiters she found a way to keep going and sharing her story, at least for awhile. I feel so bad for her children :(
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Potent Lisa! This Epstein horror is physically nauseating. It has me with no words, because it leaves me weak and feeling powerless. This requires far more than words, this requires dark grisly retribution, and I am sadly not in a position to exact such — but in the dark places in my heart I have ripped these monster’s apart, slowly and strategically. . I thought about commenting on the situation in a post but it so disturbed me it was hard to concentrate the anger I felt. It literally was taking me down mentally — so for sanity’s sake, I took emotional solace in the forest, by a waterfall… poetically. But I salute you my friend. 👍🏼👊🏼
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Rob, you don’t know how much I appreciate your comment. Walking me through your feelings about it. I do understand why you chose the emotional solace of poetically walking in the forest, by a waterfall. I will visualize that as I fall off to sleep tonight — maybe meet you there.
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Well done Li! for such an awful happening.
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Stew, thanks. It’s the least I can do for Dear Virginia. How she was able to keep it together enough to write her book I will never know.
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