When words became screams
And actions turned into fights
When I started to hide
And laid in fear every night
That, that's when you stopped
When I did nothing good enough
And fists collided with bones
When yelling became normal
And I wished to be alone
That, that's when you stopped
When long sleeves replaced t-shirts
And I had to hide the bruises
When I began to curse at god because,
Your family is something he chooses
That, that's when you stopped
When pain took over my life
And my feelings became numb
When your vocabulary turned bitter
And I was a failure, a mistake and dumb
That, that's when you stopped
When I ran away from home
And started going by a different name
When I began to lie to friends
Just to hide all of your shame
That, that's when you stopped
When I had given up hope
And said my life was cursed
Left to go to some other family member
But that ended up being worse
That, that's when you stopped
When punishment became a game
And you tried a million ways
To break me, beat me, destroy me
And soon became every day
That, that's when you stopped
When I found I couldn't love
And I couldn't even cry
When a blade became my only friend
And I really just wanted to die
That, that's when you stopped
When the nightmares came
And you were never there
Growing up, as the daughter
That about you never cared
That, that's when you stopped
When you found out about my rape
And you said it was all on me
When I became the daughter
The daughter you didn't want me to be
That, that's when you stopped
When the line was erased
And nothing would stop you
To make me miserable,
There's anything you'd do
That, that's when you stopped
When you made everyone leave
And didn't care how I'd feel
When you handed me the scissors
And said 'just make sure they heal'
That, that's when you stopped
When you told me I was breathing
Just because I'm worth more alive
When it became more about the money
Then how I would survive
That, that's when you stopped
When it became clear
With you I was in constant danger
That's when you stopped being my family,
And we became strangers.
