Secrets
Too young
to understand
why
she’s not
supposed to tell
why
his touches
hurt
why
his gifts
make her feel
dirty
deep down
inside.
Too young
to understand
why
she’s not
supposed to tell
why
she pretends
to be a bird
why
baths no longer
make her feel clean
why
her mom insists
the bogeyman isn’t real.
Photo by Dmitry Ratushny on Unsplash
I Walk with a Limp 