Little Girl at Night
knees drawn to tiny chest she curls in velvet
night her secret swallowed under her silent
laughter, laughter polished to dazzling dancing
in the dark - this prismed diamond dancing, bouncing
joyful twirling as a whirling dervish –until the chill spills
down her spine –she, tiny seer, in the lifting dawning dark
tastes the stranger shadow who wears her father’s face
looming long-strong legs like steel twin towers
holding her prisoner of childhood
martyr to her mother’s sweet unknowing sleep
as the small bed creaks in supplicated sigh, laughter
safely stowed, the dancing diamond of joy stilled for now,
her fist stuffed in her mouth, small teeth grazing soft
knuckles
as crazy time begins
again
A little girl trapped in the night...sleeping mothers always know..secretly..necessarily perhaps...I hope she grows..claims back her night...an important poem..
ReplyDeleteI, too, believe the mothers always know, but for whatever reasons they feel powerless in their knowing.
DeleteOh, this one is heartbreaking. Sad to be such a prisoner of childhood, when childhood should be a joyful time. 'Fist stuffed in her mouth' says so much! Powerful.
ReplyDeletehttp://inthecornerofmyeye.blogspot.com/2014/10/apple-time.html
You have tackled a hard topic, pkp, but did it in a very efficient manner. You have included so much that is true of incest, including the contrast between what we see and the harsh painful reality.
ReplyDeleteOh! poor girl, her innocence is tarnished now.
ReplyDeleteYou were taken to a similar place as I. Nice write!
ReplyDeleteHow anyone can do a thing like this to his own daughter is beyond me... What kind of men would do a thing like that..? I wonder what kind of self-image he has---
ReplyDeleteoh...this is chilling and sad...
ReplyDeleteWhirling dervish, tastes the stranger shadow - i admire those lines ~ This has a nightmarish hint as the crazy time begins again ~
ReplyDeleteYou have painted her so well I can see her, with her fist in her mouth. I wish she could yell the house down, but children are too afraid to do that. The mother sleeping.....this is sad, and it is a topic important to be brought into the light. Thank you, Pearl.
ReplyDeleteInvite you to watch a new photo album on my blog.
ReplyDeleteI wish you a successful new week.
Too horrible! Very well composed, it wrecks my composure.
ReplyDeleteThe sweetness and innocence of childhood and the crushing blow of innocence lost...so horrific. You have painted it well. I wish these things never happened...ugh.
ReplyDeleteSo sad.
ReplyDeleteIts so sad, well written.
ReplyDeleteWell... the intention of the piece certainly worked. The art is beautifully depressing. Point well penned.
ReplyDeleteZQ
Beautiful as always.
ReplyDeleteAn absolutely heartbreaking write, Pearl. So sad. Well written.
ReplyDeletePamela
You went to a dark place with this prompt. Disturbing, but well done.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Susan...this is certainly a composure-wrecking piece. Wow. I like how you keep the focus on the girl and what she does (fist in mouth, teeth grazing knuckles) in her own act of the only resistance she knows against this travesty. If more people focused on honoring those parts of the story, more little girls could grow up to take back the night!
ReplyDeleteAnd, thank you for writing this so beautifully :-)
ReplyDeleteYou have painted her well. I know her, she lived in my house for several years and is the most creative and haunted human being I have ever met.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth
This is excellent.
ReplyDeleteOh my, this is harsh, purely because of the reality of it. This breaks my heart.
ReplyDeleteOh Pearl. This is intensely sad for the truth it contains. Beautiful work, my friend. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThe fears and feelings well-expressed
ReplyDeleteSo beautifully written on such an ugly topic. well done.
ReplyDelete