In the Morning

Six years old and I fell from a tree
And my scraped knees were proof.
As I told the story to the kids at school.
My mother bandaged them up
And kissed me on the cheek
And told me I’d feel better in the morning.

Ten years old and my father hit me
And my mother’s tears were proof.
As she screamed at him at 2am
I hid in my room that night
And I heard the door slam loudly
And my mother wasn’t home in the morning

Twleve years old and I hated school
And my failed report card was proof.
As I changed my 'D's to 'A's with pen
My mother never noticed
And I stayed up late every night
And could barely get up in the morning

Fourteen years old and a boy broke my heart
An crippled self worth was the proof.
As I poured my thoughts into a journal
That my mother never found
And my best friend patted my shaking spine
And told my Id forget him in the morning.

Sixteen years old and I’d given up
And the slits on my wrist were proof.
As the blood trickled on the floor
My mother followed the drops on the carpet
And screamed when she found me
And this time there was no morning.