Initiation rights

Initiation Rights

You said…
you swore… as we stood together
In front of those huge iron gates that you’d take care of me.
That nobody would hurt me.

They hurt me.

You told me I had nothing to fear,
You said it wouldn’t be scary.
You said it would be easy.

You lied.

And I watched,
As in pale moonlight they caught me
And smiled,
The faces of demons etched onto teenage girls,
And they pinned me, effortlessly, to the cold stone wall,
And then easily, coldly, they carved the school crest into my arm,
And smiled wider than before.
Initiation rights they called it,
You handed them the scissors.

You traitor.

You didn’t smile,
Just shrugged as I bled
Initiation rights you said.
Had to be done you said.
It’d be alright now you said.

You Liar.

And the next time
When they caught me in summer sunshine,
And ran their fingers through long silken hair,
And said it was like spun gold,
And smiled,
As they took my hair gently from its weave
And let it cascade like a waterfall down my back,
Then hacked it, from my shoulder
And let the golden curls fall to the floor.
And smiled wider than before.
Initiation rights they called it.
You handed them the scissors.

You traitor.

You didn’t smile
Just shrugged as I sobbed
Clutching fistfuls of shiny hair.
Initiation rights you said
Had to be done you said
It’d be alright now you said.
You lied…

You Promised.