That fingernail-raked cheek scar was the last straw
Like a rocket preparing for lift-off
You packed whatever is necessary
In three black garbage bags and left.
It took them three days to realize you were gone.
You take refuge from one friend to another.
Their silence is enough to make you stay afloat
They gave you the warmth you sorely expected from the people you call ‘family’
With a bitter smile, you thank them all
and wore your battle scars like a woolen scarf
On that day, you vowed to be better
You sleep better now. You smile wider, too
A broken pipe-- galvanized and ready to function again
Everything you earn is solely yours now
No more predatory shadows lurking in the dark
No more dire voices and unsolicited advice
Beer cans, cigarette butts, and petty friends
are slowly taken out of your diet
And for the first time after losing your parents,
you create plans of making a home
The nightmare came back after two months in DM’s and FaceBook comments
Your feather-weight happiness thudded back to earth like a falling meteorite
It’s as if you had been slapped on the face again..
Why can’t they let you be happy?