Heart Space

She is small and mighty
Sitting in the backseat
Choking back tears
Her life depends on it

No desire to go back with them
A house of horrors waits
But the adults decided why
Who said parents know best?

What did she do to deserve this nothing
But she can't know that yet
So she clenches jaw bites tongue
Holds breath to survive

Then sometimes she's in the front seat
Again holding back tears
Staring out the window
Pulling in breath with tiny sips

A woman now who can't discern
Sweet soft moments from
Danger EVERYWHERE every turn
Every feeling a threat she runs while holding still

He can't understand either why she turns away
When he needs something
She can't give anything
Depleted ashamed holding indownupoutaway

Because other men fuck her own mother
Were monsters the very real kind
Wherever she goes there they are
Yellow sick oozing angry wound

Healing happens slowly
Too much goddamn work
Small mighty girl turned
Powerful woman queen

She holds the world in her heart
Every crack sewn back in place
made space for lonely lost unloved unheard
Including herself