The quiet girl in the corner.
You don’t notice her, but she’s there.
You see her in the hallway,
You smile at her and she smiles back.
You notice just how pretty her smile is,
But what you can’t see is the fear.
The fear she feels when the final bell rings.
The fear she feels when she pulls in the driveway.
The fear she feels when the door opens at six o’clock.
She thinks to herself, “Whose turn is it today?”
The fear she feels when He knocks on her door.
You notice her in class the next day.
You can see the bruises that she hides.
You want to ask if she’s okay,
But she slips out and runs to her next class.
You don’t see her for another week,
But you notice the hospital band and the bruises.
Even still, you smile at her and she smiles back.
You notice just how pretty her smile is today,
But what you can’t see is the pain.
The pain she feels when her father comes home.
The pain she feels watching him beat her mother.
The pain she feels laying down in that bed.
The pain she feels disposing of all the empty bottles.
She doesn’t think he could ever stop.
She only has to try to survive two more years.
She hopes that someone can see the fear and pain in her smile.
She hopes that someone will save her from this hell she lives in.
But all she can do now is hope that tonight is not her night.