THE ATTITUDE OF INDIFFERENCE

Born in a land of swagger
Where earth and moon tongue kissed their lies
Footprints glowed on hearts that sang out loud their romance
She came beneath them
Frazzled and beautiful
A little girl with no hair
Hair so thin you can see a map of her heart
Anything you give
She takes
Anything you say
She swallows
You write her story to feel better
At 9 years old she thinks you’re a visitor
Who brings toys twice a year
More like Santa Claus in jeans
The tooth fairy that lost her wings
She sings to you on the phone
Your insides grow sore
Her voice is delicious like sunshine and strawberries
Tomorrow is when you will snatch her from the serpent
Take her to a better place
She will see your good intention as blessing
You blink your eyes
She’s now nineteen
You sit her down
Tell her the truth
That she belongs to you
She was always yours
Five hours of labor during a talk show of viewers
Little girl don’t believe you
She thinks you’re losing it
You act too desperate
Too nice
Not motherly
She chose to dance with the serpent
Until she marries one like him
Tall, dark and devious
She wants a man like Daddy
Except she wants him white
With long curly hair so he can approve
She gets extensions
Dresses into a Cinderella costume
Polishes her lips with glitter
Little girl twirls her way towards the sun
Her skin burns like fire
Her voice echoes Travelocity
She travels the world in search of her serpent
Determined to be happy
She realizes she’s too dark
Bleaches her face every morning
Now look…
Look how she glows like the moon
When she walks into a room
Everyone catches their breath
Little girl finds her blond hair, blue eyed serpent
He is not Daddy
He is Peter Pan who grabs her by the neck
Flies her to a world of abuse
Her tears stains her Cinderella dress
Turns it gray
She stops eating
Darkness gives her shivers
Her glow disappears
She sings for pennies on the subway
Her glow disappears
Daddy where are you?
She tries to undress the rain with a song
Little girl is unable to free herself
Isolation becomes her best friend
Intervention offered with my fingertips
She hugs without question
My peace offering
©2008 by C. Delaleu
painting by Etsy