Shattered Dreams

At age eight, we moved out of the city.  A

Brazen and snot-nosed kid, that year I got 

C’s. My brain blocked out the pain 

Daring my parents to question me.

Evaluations were usually the first sign.

Fragments of the abuse came back at night

Giving birth to a rebel

Hell-bent on doing things my way.

I had hunted for ways to earn extra cash.

Jean was a neighbor and my new friend.

Kindly, she paid me to dust her furniture.

Luring me into her private circle. 

My friend gave me her secret combination. 

Now and then, she’d invite me to sleep over.

Often, I’d wake up without underwear. A naive

Puppet in her show. I was

Quiescent and trusting when she

Roughly added the insult. 

So much for friends and secrets. Jean

Threatened to let everyone know.

Unable to stop the outcome, I ran home. So

Vilely, she’d betrayed me, a child still                   

Wet behind the ears, Jean, was the first

Xenophobic predator that 

Yielded damage. I was ripe to become a

Zombie with steel blue eyes.

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