Tired and happy
Expressions on their faces
When parents first hold their babies
Clad in hospital dresses

But in the same hospital there is another
A couple, fighting, hours after
How are we going to feed her
With the rest of our children?

At the back of the same building
In the shadows at night
Is a mother leaving
Her child behind

Fast forward, 10 years later
A boy who only wears long sleeves in the summer
He does this to hide all his bruises
Given to him by his father

In 5 more years
A girl who spends all her time outside and away
So she doesn’t have to face her parents
Who are intoxicated, violent – drunk all day

10 years more
He continues to wear his sleeves long
Because even though the marks on his arms have faded away
The scars in his heart, forever remain

Another 5 years
She now has 2 children from “sleeping around”
Who she’s too busy to look after;
She can barely look after herself

What will happen in another decade?
The boy, now man
Will he treat his children the same way?

The girl, now woman
Will she return home inebriated
Day after day?

I’m not saying that these outcomes are final
But it often happens since children learn by example
They may do the same as their parents
And end up hurting other people

So before you have children please remember
The profound impact you can have on another
I implore, do not forget
The courage to raise a child, before it ends in pain and regret

~

Like fingerprints on glass
Damage done
To what extent
Is a question unasked

Some hands leave marks
Others mar
And also cracks
That rip through the glass

The worst of all
Are those who shatter
The delicate material
Into a thousand pieces

Oh how I wonder
The damage inflicted
How broken a person’s glass is
A telling indication