It Sears My Soul

Whispers gathered around me
Hiding amongst the trees and the tall buildings
The wind carried their weeping thoughts to my ears
And my heart sank lower and lower
Til I could feel the rhythm of my life
In the souls of my shoes

The air weighed like steel on my head
That I believed my spine was sure to crack
I knew everyone heard the latest news
My father's condition was nowhere near alive
My mother's committed crimes were delusional

I had to be the adult in the house
Tell them that if they didn't stop
I'd break them up.
I didn't know it could be this far apart.

Mother held that six shooter like it was her last resort
Bang, bang, bang
Momma missed, but Dad was definitely on the run
I ran up the stairs to look for a phone
They seemed endless and unfamiliar
I kept tripping as I heard
The crashing of dishes
The thrashing of furniture
Being toppled to stop the beast
That possessed my mommy's body
I kept spiraling up those hard oak steps
But I was beat by Mom three seconds too late

I screamed into the handset
Seeing Dad in his bloody state
Mom dropped the gun as the blood trickled
From Dad's still beating chest
I clamped down on the phone to steady my nerve
As the murderer cried out in pain

The police took the creature away
Paramedics tried to clean my father up
As best as they could
There I was
Standing
Looking
Out the door and
Back inside
Seeing as I broke
Apart
The lives of two people
Who brought mine
Together

So for those whispers
Carrying down the halls of the tall buildings
Carrying about the wind and rain
I comprehend how you must feel for me
The pity is overflowing like his wounds
and the sympathy is too thick
Like the chaos of my mother's cries

I will be okay one day.
I will be out of this room one day.

I will not be looking at these trees.
I will not be looking at these tall buildings.

I will not be in this prison like Mom is in.
I will not be in this hospital like Dad was in.

I will be okay one day.