I was a baby boy;
you were my young aunt.
The way you swung gum around your finger,
the twinkle in your eye,
flipping the bird just because you could;
I thought you the coolest girl in the world.
As a boy, I saw you marry;
I watched while he beat you.
My body shielded my brother,
while my uncle’s thumps struck you.
In silence I watched you stand;
I thought you the toughest woman in the world.
I became a teenager,
and my father whispered the truth.
The violation.
The abuse.
My heart wanted to protect you.
Then I met him;
the lover who would beat and abuse me.
You and I were victims of cruel men;
Our bruises whispered the same secrets.
You drifted over time,
and turned your back on me;
I have no idea what I did.
Blood never forgets
life before the bruises;
I think you the most hurt person in the world.