Survivors

Survivors

She sits there and she knows

the world is a cruel place

and only the strong can survive

the purple stains, the only evidence

of a manic mother meaning no harm

but always inflicting it

a question stirs, and it hurts

for a daughter to not know if she is loved

leaves her teetering on the edge

how does a child make sense

of smiles after the blows of hands

and laughter as if nothing happened

a young mother forced to grow

giving birth to a child older than time

a cycle that settles into the subconscious

to be so broken, yet to love

despite years of agony

for that, they are both strong

she sits there and she knows

the world can be a cruel place

but the strong have survived.