The Mask (Revised) (poem) by Linda M Hill on AuthorsDen

The Mask (Revised)
by Linda M Hill → (All Poetry by Linda M Hill)

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She walks alone Her head held down She never notices If anyone's around I see her every day As she walks by One morning I thought I'd just say Hi I walked up to her But she backed away She didn't have Too much to say She seemed afraid To shake my hand When she looked at me I began to understand Her eye was black As she glanced at me She turned away So I would not see I walked beside her Not saying a word Knowing that silence Can sometimes be heard After the third day She slightly smiled When I came out We walked awhile She started to talk About her life The struggles of being A mother and wife I noticed more bruises She tried to hide She masked all the pain She carried inside I wanted to ask her But I didn't dare What a terrible cross She had to bear Every day we walked Though her body was sore She would get quiet When we neared her door She looked so afraid As she'd quickly say bye Was that a glimmer of A tear in her eye She started to wait Each morning for me By the oceans edge She'd stand patiently Sometimes she would cry But never would tell Of the demons at home Who put her through hell She would talk of the Seagulls in the air Or the different way I wore my hair She had a grace about her A certain charm But she never discussed The bruises on her arm One day I waited But she never came The oceans wave Was not the same The seagulls weren't flying Not going anywhere Could it be Because she's not there It was in the paper The very next day Woman beaten to death Her husband to pay With tearfilled eyes I walked alone Every chance I had To save her was gone I never asked her Why her bruises were there I should have told her How much I cared I never told her She was my best friend Or to save her life I'd gladly taken her in Words left unspoken Pain buried so deep I prayed to God Her soul to keep Her name written in Cold hard stone As the waves roll in I walk alone She had a grace about her A certain charm But we never discussed The bruises on her arm � Linda Hill 2003