Laughter fills a summer sky
as small children run around,
chasing each other in games forgotten by age.
Squeals of glee sound through playgrounds,
as they run around feeling the summer air.
One child hults as their mother briskly walks to them.
Barking orders she takes the child from the happy scene,
The child looks back at their friends
and soaks up the sunshine and warm feelings.
Swiftly mother and child return home
to find father rambling bitter words to them.
The small child sonters over to their room,
and begin to play with wooden blocks of many colors.
The child coos playful thoughts as they build,
builds to the heavens.
Suddenly the room grows cold as nosies grow louder,
shouts and screams reverberates through the child’s home.
Crashes and slams accompany the raising chorius of yells,
and the small child does not understand.
They waddle over to their bed and hide under the covers,
Hoping the scary noises will fade away.
Their mother enters the room and uncovers the child,
salty tears race down her bruised and scarred face.
The child reaches out to their mother,
not understanding why or how this happened.
She quickly races out of the room with child held close.
The father yells at her and threatens her.
The tiny, frightened child covers their ears
not understanding why their father would say such things.
And as mother and child rush out into the night,
the father in drunken rage throws a beer bottle at them.
The glass shatters on hard ground,
slicing soft skin of both young and old.
The father runs after them, demanding his child back.
The mother puts the child into the car and quickly gets in too.
The engine roars to life and swiftly they leave.
The father’s solemn vow echoes through the bitter night.
“You think you can get away? I will find you, and when I do you will pay.
I will always find you. You can never escape from me.”
Years pass and the child starts school,
learning with joy and fun.
The father shows up to the school
demanding to see his child.
The school won't let him,
and they notify the mother.
Quickly the mother arrives and sees to her horror
who else was there.
She tries to run away with the child,
but the father follows closely.
The mother calls the police,
pleading for help.
They came,
they saw it all,
and arrests him.
The child will no longer see their father like they used to.
They will only see anger and hatred in his hostile eyes.
They now fear him,
dreading to visit him even if it was behind glass.
They would forever be scared by his actions,
and long for normalcy they were robbed of.
They will forever be shackled by their father’s anger
and wrath.
They will never know what it would have been like.
They will be forever shackled by memories, wishes, and longings.

Early morning he wakes,
and he already wishes it was night.
He stumbles out of bed
to the usual sounds of yelling.
He watches where he steps,
as to not set off any mines.
In a trance he follows his path,
The same routine.
Screams echo in his head
but his mind is numb,
blank.
He makes his way to the door
as plates crash over his head
like artillery shells.
He feels hollow as he drives to school,
taking snarky comments from fellow
students like bullets.
He's bleeding out,
fading away from the war zone,
no one there to save him,
to patch up his wounds.
But still he marches on in a daze,
continues to fight.
Only to lose himself in the anarchy of life,
to become an empty husk,
a hollow corps.
The war rages on at home
and mind.
A cry is released from him,
a death rattle,
unheard it remains.
But he finds other soldiers stumbling in the dark,
just like him.
They band together to fight away the darkness
that invades their lives.
To all the wounded soldiers out there
who feel like they're losing the battle,
do not give up.
There are others who are fighting the same battle,
Help them fight.
Save them from the war zone,
that lies within.

She runs and hides from him,
dragging her siblings with her.
Little legs traveling swift.
Darkness is their only cover.
“Let's play a little game”,
He said.
The only light to lead their way,
was the soft glow of the pale moon,
and the flashes of the fireflies.
“Down here,” she ordered.
Hiding them well, she kissed them on the head.
And she was gone.
Breaking branches,
making a path for him to follow.
Away from them,
she lead him.
She had to keep them safe,
she can’t let him win.
He rose up behind her like a shadow,
swift and silent.
“Where are they?”
His voice was a low rumble,
like distant thunder.
“I’ll never say. You’ll never find them”
She said quietly.
She ran from him,
and ducked behind a tree.
Quick breaths filled the air with mist.
Soon she heard him lumbering along,
Listening for her breath.
Looking for any signs of movement.
He disappeared into the shadows,
gone without a trace.
She thought she was safe,
But she was wrong.
He swung up from behind,
and grabbed her around the waist.
“Where are the others?”
He demanded.
“I’ll never tell you.”
She croaked.
“Tell me NOW!”
He roared.
“Go away Fear. We do not listen to you anymore,”
“The man that brought you to us is long gone,”
“Were not afraid anymore.”
And with a shriek he was gone.
She brought her siblings out of hiding.
Fear would no longer chase them.
She had conquered him.

Surviving the day is half of the battle.
It begins at dusk.
Yelling words echo off the empty halls,
down to a little girl’s room.
She hides her sisters as the sound grows louder,
bracing them for what is about to happen.
The yelling turns to screams,
the screams to cries,
and the cries to silence.
A loud hit adrups the noise.
There the little girl hides,
hides from the monster.
She feels him drawing closer.
She hides under her bed away from his painful touch.
He lumbers into the room,
smelling her fear.
He reaches for her but she is just barely out of harm's way.
He howls in frustration,
unable to reach the shivering mouse.
Sirens wail in the distance at last.
Her mother had called for help.
Knights come and take away the beast.
He utter curses vowing to get his vengeance.
The little girl finds her sisters,
no harm done to them.
Her mother wears a new bruise,
tears race down her face.
They leave their home for now it is broken.
They find refuge in their aunt’s house.
Silent tears stream down from girl’s shattered eyes.
They sleep knowing that this is only a temporary safe haven.

No one will understand you,
glass child.
You have seen and experienced things
most don't.
They know there's something different,
something off.
But they will never comprehend
the hell you call a childhood.
The horror you call home
would be an enigma to them.
They don't know the pressure placed on you.
You try to hide the cracks and chips
so the world does not see it got to you.
But dear glass child,
you don't understand.
The cracks you hate,
the chips you despise,
they make you beautiful.
You understand better than anyone,
the power words have.
You understand that a simple action,
can change a person's world.
Dear glass child,
You are beautifully broken.
You may think that's not true,
that you must have it together.
But THAT is not true.
Because you are broken
you know how to heal others.
Because you've gone through hell,
you can guide others to safety.
Dear glass child,
you are beautifully broken,
a gorgeous work of art.
Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.