Crowded grocery store
People rushing by
Hoping they don't see
A grown woman cry
I still see his face
Engraved in my mind
After all these years
Peace is hard to find



Panic consumes me
I'm drawn into the past
Crying on bloodstained sheets
Heart beating fast
Teddy bear falls to the floor
A six year old can't fight
My screams of pain went unheard
Swallowed by the night



The shadows simply watched
Innocence ripped away
As my teddy bear slept
And night turned into day
Cigar smoke filled the room
I can't forget the smell
As I lay on crumpled sheets
In my own private hell



Crowded grocery store
But I feel so alone
Except for the feel of his hands
And the stench of cheap cologne

(C) Linda Hill