"We need you."

Nightmare. Flashback. All in one. Horrible...

"I'M DONE!"

Doors slam.

Gravel whispers under

barren feet of this hurt little girl,

forced to deal with others' suffering...

She stands 

in the middle

of the road, awaiting

her ride out of this hell.

The door creeps open,

and little faces peer out into

the darkness, tear stained and dirty

with years of neglect and sleepless nights.

"Ry ry?" The soft little voices

call, quivering with fright and fear

of being left alone to deal with the nothingness,

the thing that creeps in the house drunken and angry...

This scared little girl,

forced to be a woman,

plops down in the middle of

the road and cries. Little feet

plod down the gravel to meet her;

little dirty hands pull at her shirt and hair.

"Ry ry? Are you okay?"

"I'm leaving, okay!? I can't stand it!"

And the little lips go quivering.

The little toes dig into the gravel.

The little kids won't cry, for fear of

the thing in the house hearing them.

"We need you."

Reviews

[alesuriko]

This is so haunting and vivid... So often does this happen to families, especially foster families... the older ones are forced to be adults if the foster parents are abusive and the younger children need them to survive. This is a wonderfully touching poem, well written. It is so realistic. Also, I like your reference to "the thing in the house" very dehumanizing, perfect for this piece. Well done.

[Angel Veselinov]

Readlly exceptional piece loved it even if it is a dark one still has a sparky end thank for sharing :) keep writing :)

[Marie Harrison]

Oh this is so sad. So true, don't leave the kids take them too! It's a briliant write. I love the vivid images and the message behind the poem. People do all they can do to survive sometimes.

[Hello, Goodbye]

I absolutely love it. Its haunting, mysterious, and evokes much emotion.. I love the description and how it help keep the tone consistent through out. Great job with this piece..