Death doesn’t stop the fear
Frozen in time
Scared to breathe
Nothing anyone says
Comes through clearly
A monster so big
A child so small
Frail bones and flushed skin
The quiver raises and lowers in my throat
Head shakes again
Moments so vile
There should not be this power struggle
Yet I shut down to my core
At the mention of it all
Folding inside like a paper crane
Disguises don’t help
Every inch of me wants to scream
But I sit silent and frozen
Replaying horrors so deep
Nightmares seem more welcoming
Than these childhood memories
