The child silent on the playground

The child who sits in the back of the classroom

The child with fear in their eyes

The child who quietly hides the bruises

that stain their tiny arms.

The child with too many sick days

The child who is scared to tell

The child whose scars have scars,

The child who ‘falls down the stairs’

too many times.

The child who longs to be protected

The child who believes they are always wrong

The child who doesn’t understand why

The child who rushes to hide

as they hear those dreadful footsteps.

The child who clutches to the bedpost

The child, a victim under the hand of the bottle

The child whose tears sting the welts

The child who winces at the pain as

his fist meets their frail body.

The child who battles endless blows

The child who smells the stench of tears and alcohol

The child with crimson liquid polluting their pure lips

The child who helplessly weeps as their face

slams against the hardwood floor.

The child who prays for the pain to stop

The child who can’t see through their swollen eyes

The child whose body is painted black and blue

The child who howls and shrieks

in the silence of the night.

The child whose cries the neighbors ignore

The child who nobody saved

The child who tries to breathe

as they are choked by the hands of hell.

The child who is silenced.

The child who is now an angel.