Souvenirs

by me


Souvenirs of violence
Beneath their cotton shirts
Smudges green and violet
Like fingerprints in dirt
Glimpses of the remnants
In desks lined up in rows
Souvenirs of violence
Beneath the children’s clothes

We all know the story well (please don’t tell)
It’s a family matter here (don’t you interfere)

Make-up thick around her eyes
Where skin is stretched and bruised
Cotton batten taped to flesh
To hide an open wound
Long dark locks tied in a bun
To hide the missing hairs
A graceful limp with face turned low
From falling down the stairs

We all know the story well (please don’t tell)
It’s a family matter here (please don’t interfere)