My baby sister's singing, as she throws her food about,
She's looking rather messy, requiring a bath without` doubt,
Mummy's looking thin and frail, I never see her eat.
She stands beside the table staring blindly at her feet,
Her hair once prim and proper, tumbled in disarray,
Her eyes are strained and red, as I hear her softly say,
"Time for bed my sweets, tomorrows a brand new adventure",
"Time enough for play in the near and distant future",
Putting us to bed "Stay, no matter what you hear",
She checks her watch again; I can plainly see her fear,
A simple kiss goodnight she lovingly bestows,
My sister snuggles down; her eyes begin to close,
Laying in the dark, I hear crickets, brightly singing,
My sister softly snores, to her teddy, she is clinging,
I hear his heavy footsteps, upon the gravel drive,
His keys upon the lock, announcing he's arrived,
I lay so still and quiet, I can picture his disgrace,
His dark unruly hair with pure hatred on his face,
The stench of smoke and alcohol, oozing from his skin,
Alcohol unleashes, a malevolent demon, deep within,
Mummy's crying loudly, as his accusations fly,
She pleads, softly, saying that she truly did not lie,
He pays no heed to her words; I hear the first contact,
The sound of fist on skin, a cowardice, lowly act,
The noise is getting louder, the shattering of glass,
I close my eyes tightly, in the hope it will soon pass,
Strained voices in the distance, it seems to never end,
Head held high, it's all okay, I continue to pretend,
I creep downstairs, worried by the apparent lack of sound,
Frightened by evidence, I see, lying upon the ground
Shards of glass surrounding, there's blood upon the floor,
The house is still and quiet, all except the open door,
Outside there's a commotion, raised voices in the night,
Peeking out, I see the devil, waging his last fight,
Daddy's on the ground, handcuffs, tightly behind his back,
He's swearing at the policeman, all good manners he does lack,
Mummy's bleeding badly; I can see her in the distance,
Ushered quickly inside, at the policeman's insistence,
He watches me intently; I sit alone, alone within my silence,
He offers me his hat as thanks for my compliance,
His boots crunch the glass, as he moves about the room,
His steps slow and precise, within the musty gloom,
Daddy screams "I love you" from his captors, burly grasp,
His voice is rough and slurred, more like a sickly rasp,
The cars leaving, taking with them, my whole universe,
The police are impatiently direct, some even slightly terse,
The policeman at the door, smiles falsely, with forced attempt,
There's sorrow is his eyes, it clearly softens his contempt,
My baby sister's sleeping, oblivious, to the complex charade,
The cars follow each other, slowly, like performers on parade,
The ambulance, the last to leave, lights flashing bright,
I watch them slowly disappear until they're out of sight,
Oblivion sets in, now there is nothing, simply nothing to be said,
My face is calm, my body still but the visions in my head,
I feel so all alone, in this present, they have created,
Childhood I feel, is extremely overrated....
Listen to your children, what you do affects them too and they are so very precious. Life does not offer second chances.
