LOSS OF INNOCENCE

(c) 2006 by April Sims

I am sitting on this bus

At the age of 32

Looking out the tinted windows

Wearing a white jumper

Shackled to my seat

Adorning silver bracelets

On my hands and feet

Headed on a one way trip

Of no return

Wondering

Why

I never got the chance

To dance at my prom

Or turn my tassel

At graduation

I was chosen for this course

Because they say

I showed no remorse

16 years ago

When I relieved you of your pain

The pain that

Made your 16 year old daughter

A sacrificial lamb

To be laid countless times

Upon the altar

Of your glass god

The altar

That allowed men

To drain me of my innocence

By doing any and everything

They wanted to do to me

So

You

My mother, my guardian, my protector

Could continue

To feed your addictions of

                   Smoking crack

             Snorting cocaine

                            And

Gorging your veins

When I arrive at my final destination

I will be walked down a hall

And strapped to a table

As needles are inserted into my veins

After this is done

They will proceed

To open the curtain

And place me on public display

The warden will then nod his head

To begin

The descent

Of liquid slowly flowing

Through my veins

At this point

My eyes will close

And my young life

Will slowly start to fade away

And I will finally be set free

I won a poetry contest with the above  poem on Myspace.  My intention were to reached as many people as possible to at least make one person think twice.