An inky tattoo
Was crawling up his neck
A newfound taboo
For I, was a wreck
What had happened
His nails were sharp
I could not tell
Each arm apart
Exposed was I
Helpless and hurt
Couldn’t look to the sky
Couldn’t utter a word
Weak and broken
I hated myself for
I was a token
I looked to the floor
And shouts were near
But I shut them out
I couldn’t hear
Those I cared about
In my head
To escape what’s real
I might have bled
But I couldn’t feel
No, I haven’t moved
Since I fell that day
Nothing to prove
Nothing to say
So I’ll stay silent
For no one can hear
The world is violent
The world I’m near
this is the perspective of the character Maribel from the Book of Unknown Americans.