Revisionist History

An afternoon nap on a Summer’s Day

Her back turned, slumber peaceful and sweet

Awakening to a silent house but for a strange noise

Down the hall she creeps until she sees the door ajar

Shock and horror form the wide ‘O’ of surprise

A mind slowly registering a scene

Pants around ankles and fear in the baby’s eyes .

He’s holding her by the waist, buried inside the baby she had been.

Shame blooms like ink in a child’s heart.

Will they punish her for what he has done?

Waiting for the words to come, the conversation to start

A word is never said. A child never knows.

Inside her the desperate feeling grows.

The stage goes blank

World’s ripped away

Screaming in outloud in the fog

Still no one had anything to say

Pretend it never happened

If we never say the words, maybe she won’t remember

The blank spot grows until it swallows all but the last memory

The mind won’t remember but the body won’t forget

Wails into a cold, dark night

Sheets beneath her stained and wet

She told and told and no one helped

Now she lives with what they wanted to forget

Innocence lost so painfully young

A daughter not protected

So she burned their world down

And became the threat they least expected.