In this orthodox light, this vanished flesh of alone
the clear devices of you rise from the succulent heart of palm
you raise to shield that injured self
as if such soft fruit might salve the wounds
which living carved so carelessly

Small as a large child, you are no miniature woman
your passion not arbitrary
but earned by more than simple sullen release

I sense that gnarled digit of invasion
a girl of eight (smaller still) invaded by the death
which hearts decree when trespassed all too soon
the saving fence still rolled, no stakes to ground
to mark the person you would become

Each time you fought to wash this stain
his ugliness returned hidden by the family crest

One sword, one hand, one breathless eagle's talon
hooked within the child too young for such sex

And so the real shadow grew beyond this pale apparency of growth
that huge, amazing you who waits outside this unique frame
as if the sun could reach a bias on the horizon of then
shoot its golden rays upward to illuminate your true size in abstract dark

That he could not wait for your first blood
which any self-respecting vampire might obey
betrays the lack of magic, of immortality in his utterly failed human attire

He had no cape, was no windy, bat-like dream
arrived through your window's stormy plight

It takes no strength to steal a daughter's daughter
no lust to touch this hairless cleft
as he was not driven by painful schemes
but sent from ugliness of self unrevealed

No man who touches children takes their strength
only learns new weakness
then leaves a hurricane's disorder in his wake


II

Your grandmother lies asleep awake in opposition to her death
she will not leave this earthly spin until she knows
he is finally gone and you are safe

Her vigil is a thoughtless task inspired by stubborn miracles of patience
You fret her pain, she knows you live

Together between the two women who knew your combined truth
you can keep his vagrant spirit chained
his heart might finally break apart
and you may never speak the killing words he needs to hear from you
but take your grandmother's withered hand and walk a pace away

Observe that funeral march which started in his eye
the day he spotted you
a veal calf trapped within the milk barn of his disguise

That he should eat your tender youth his soul has paid the price
This butcher of your spirit cannot hide the bloody mass
which covers the hands he tries to hide behind
so his eyes cannot be seen or see the truth
the ugly ultimate truth of him

III

Now he lays you down to sleep
you pray the lord will keep his hands away
his breath to stop, his heart to yield a different harvest in this night

So the Bible tells you so

And though your mother might deny this birthright stolen
from beneath her nose
this unrepentant sister of the deed cannot free herself
proof enough his hands had found her too

And while she cannot admit her fate so sealed yours
forgive her fear but do not relive her pain
Grow to become your own freedom
dangling like a suicide from this bridge
across the decades he sought to cheat

IV

Men cannot eat their fear unless a woman
prepares the meal it hides within

They mistake their sex for something grand
forget the child born out of every heartfelt glance
and steal to the darkness to touch the prayer between their legs
then mistaken dream of saying grace before they start
to eat and eat away their pain
salt the wound beneath this effort of the night
forget the mannerisms of the proper
to suck the marrow from a woman's bones
then ask her please to clean the plate

Bad enough with wives or whores
these men who forget to bless
but when a daughter's face is lost
the trespass is complete

V

I cannot salve this sorrowing past
or erase your tattooed bruise

but give to my heart your magic dew
and wait for scars to slowly fade

Then maybe in this new day's place
you'll find a way to come awake

And as we walk your grandma's widow's eave
you'll find it safe to finally put your grief to long last sleep

now free