"Why does he hit us?"
Her quiet voice murmured
Into the absolute black
Silently I lay back
"I don't know Rose"
I dared to breathe

Later that night
We played make believe
Of a magical fairy land
Where we galloped free as
My eyelids slipped, I wished
So hard for it to come true

Instead I awoke
Tangled in salty sheets
Clinging tight to my baby sister
Who lay still, happy
In our dreams
Maybe it was best not to wake her