Shelter me
            from all that I am                
what I try to be
I tried to shelter you
wash the blood and muck
from your hurt thighs
read you a kid's book
while you tried to sleep
in the bath too afraid
***** soiled wee scrap
we couldn't get you clean
cut your head where they
***** you over the wall
your blonde hair
stuck to the tiles
you made me cut it off
so I shaved my head
to be ugly with you
shared an overdose
tricked you
your half was
just beta-blockers
you tried to comfort me
share our pain
slept in bed with me
like you were
a proper mum
with your hurt
arms around me
till you crawled
out to find
the boyfriend
with his drugs
I could never shelter you
from what you were
life and light
grey-faded
shrink in with me
let us share this grave
of soiled hope and
anguished dreams
my wee rough pal
the first one
in the world to say
that you loved me
you wrote it
on my arm for hospital
they thought you were
my daughter I
wished you were
prayed for angels
to shelter you
like you tried
to shelter me
that night
we failed each other