Abuse

A droplet trickles down his stiffened spine
The alkali salinity bites into his raw back
He winces but doesn\'t dare to whine
Upon hearing that dreadful crack

His broken fingers cover his battered face
A sight of unadulterated disgrace
He braces for another round of pain
It\'s just another day facing his father\'s bane

The darkened corner provides a hidden shelter
Covering his victimised self, haunted by fear
Outside the monsoon continues to pelter
The lashing and rain synchronically clear

His father\'s rage fuel by fermented spirits
Enables him to continue with no sense of limit
One strike goes off target and causes him to bleed
The whip striking the boy on the side of his lips

It had been so during that wet afternoon
The den nearby was filled with addicts
His father was like another of those goons
Always hoping to somehow \'strike it big\'

Wagering his monthly pay on a game of cards
Against an oily miner who seem to be filled with lard
The miner known as Bruno puffed away with a smirk
Knowing that the next month he didn\'t have to work

If his father knew, he would surely cuss
The den was run by an underground syndicate
They had developed a method of making others pass
Over there you would always lose - and that was Fate

The father tried and tried, and lost it all
Furious, he swore he\'d win back his loss
Little did he know that it\'d lead to his downfall
As he wagered his life savings upon the cross

As expected everything he owned was simply gone
Like an artery of a heart that\'s suddenly torn
He made his way home under the acidic rain
Burning his tearful eyes and making him insane

Reaching home he slammed open the door
His son was asleep on the wooden floor
He grabbed some bottles and started drinking away
To him, life seemed unfair in every way

He grumbled and snorted. while cursing obscenities
While the spirits ate into his shrouded mind
After his last batch of profanity
His head turned and he gazed behind

His useless son was sleeping peacefully
Reminded him of his dastardly mother
Who had left them when the boy was three
For his other kin - his older brother

The angst and anger burned within
Like hellfire eating away a fragile skin
Nearby he saw the old flogging whip
The nightmare started when he held its grip

The boy jolted awake when he felt a shove
Confusion overcame like a crumbling alcove
Seeing his father all ready to pounce
The boy\'s innards spun every ounce

The blows came all hard and brutal
Sinister were his methods, his actions were cruel
Raw skin were exposed to the onslaught that came
Blood was spilled like some violent, video game

The final straw came when the boy bent over
His beastly father kick hard into his belly under
His breath half-asphyxiated and half-sobbing
Suddenly fainted with the sides of his mouth bleeding

The man stopped and peered more closely
Figuring that the boy had finally blanked-out
\"That\'s enough\" he muttered and left the room coldly
Opening another bottle he sipped his spirits slowly...