Streets of Shame

Streets of shame
Littered with secrets of her past
Dirty shameful lies
She'd forgotten at last

Secrets interweaving
through the passages of her mind
Secrets caught
in an everlasting bind

Haunting hurtful lies
Replacing bedtime fairy tales
Causing her continued
Frightened midnight wails

No one but she has ever
walked her twisted streets of shame
Ironic how her littered, dirty streets
Contrast with her name

"Spring" they called her
Meaning new life and joy
Instead he has hurt her
Played with her mind to destroy

Any part of love
That she might have felt
Was cracked along with
The crack of his belt

His fury he took out
On her innocent face
Then he was sorry
His voice soft as lace

His depression and fury
Became hers to share
He convinced her that no one
would ever really care

For so long she was lost
In those twisted streets of shame
Her innocence lost
With the beat of his cane

Finally she has escaped
from his depression and wrath
And now their shared anger
Is diminishing at last

Her bruises are fading
Both inside and out
Because inside her mind
She has found another route

copyright Jenna Brennan, 2009