Shame is a university sweatshirt
hiding the constellation on her arms,
mulberry stains left by his grip
after another sleepless night.
Her body stiffens
every time a bedroom door opens.
Her mother asks why she's not eating.
The stepfather, silent. Watching.
Her throat clenches, remembering his tongue.
At the community pool,
Her muscles constrict
with a different tension.
A good tension.
One day, she’ll be strong enough
to resist.
Jul 14, 2010
Jul 14, 2010 at 6:39 PM UTC
Shame is a university sweatshirt
hiding the constellation on her arms,
mulberry stains left by his grip
after another sleepless night.
Her body stiffens
every time a bedroom door opens.
Her mother asks why she's not eating.
The stepfather, silent. Watching.
Her throat clenches, remembering his tongue.
At the community pool,
Her muscles constrict
with a different tension.
A good tension.
One day, she’ll be strong enough
to resist.
The name is changed, but the girl and her story is real. I hope you found your way out, friend.
"For Namoi" is the intellectual property of Jessy Turner and thus protected under the U.S. Federal Copyright laws and the Berne Convention.