Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Poem: On Abused Kids

 Abused kids just know
we grew up recognizing
whose footsteps fell
Outside the bedroom door 
understanding tones of voice
or the look in someone’s eye
there wasn’t a day 
we weren’t left waiting
for the bottom to fall out
And the sky to swallow us whole
We knew when things were good
and when things were bad
When people were happy

And when they were sad

call us the empathetic person

or crazy like the rest

but that was all we had

when all you knew was clouds

You don’t know how 

to handle the break

when other people are sleeping

You lay in bed

Wide awake

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