the sound of silence

As he played cheerfully in their backyard his grandparents had a bad sense

He moved freely about the grass but would stop and stare off at into space

They would catch his stare and wonder what caused someone so young such pain

He spoke not with lips sealed as though the devil himself had soldered them closed

They would ask questions to seek the truth and search for answers to the unknown

They longed for understanding in the same way yet never exposed their motives

He was afraid of what the truth meant he was afraid of what others would think

They knew more than he could ever imagine and said nothing to arouse as such

He would return to his mother’s home with heart in hand and hand in pocket

The chilling touch running up his spine as it always had on that doorstep

The feeling of panic and worry pushing aside the warmth and comfort from before

He’s headed down the hall to his room willfully ignoring all signs of life around him

As he lies on his bed sighing with relief a feeling of uneasiness grabs his attention

The sound of drinking scraped across the walls as the smell of smoke filled the air

He lay motionless knowing what fate lay waiting for him in the next room

Closing his eyes he began to drift away to that beautiful place amongst the clouds

Upon opening his eyes it is revealed an array of welts across his back and belly

Colored many shades from black to purple he is tattooed with misery and pain

Managing to rise to his feet he moved to the bathroom and ran a hot bath

He locked the door knowing that the creatures that attacked him are fast asleep

He lay wondering in that steamy dark whole how god could ignore such abuse

All the while convincing himself that he was worthless and without value