The Bars of Her Heart

Happiness is her goal
But the secrets and fears of her past
Are the bars of the prison
That holds her heart

To keep her in and keep me out
Protect, deny, and avoid
Gazing upon those eyes
Held fast with no chains

Ghosts haunt her days
And demons come at night
The child behind those eyes
A grown-up little girl
Who hides beneath the covers
Of a life that could have been

Bravery is her weakness
Sweep it all away
Into the corners of her mind
Where no one else can see

But the truth comes bubbling up
Her issues always rise
Push them down, the only way
Denying them their day

Seeing me, but fearing him
In her own mind's eye
When I get too close
To see her heart
Behind those cold steel bars

The sentence she is given
Her shame and guilt so real
Too much to bear for any girl
Who hides away from the world

Seeking to escape the pain
Damaged beyond repair
Finding her only solace
Addiction's price seems so unfair

Therapy was so wasted
Too ashamed to tell the truth
Of what happened to her
That drunken night
All those years ago

She didn't smile in his direction
No wink or nod did invite
But alcohol made her easy prey
Nothing would ever be the same

Her memory so blurred
But can never be forgotten
No report...not even mentioned
To those who loved and cared the most
About this sweet young girl

A story so horrendous
Yet seems is all too common
Her guilt and shame
Behind tortured eyes
That never should have been