I remember, I would cry myself to sleep on the pull-out couch in the basement,
“scrub the floor, wash the dishes, read Revelations” - the end is near,
I must’ve been around 11 or half past 12,
The years morph together like melting chocolate used to make Christmas Candies.
“study hard, read your bible, Exodus 23:4-5, be kind to your enemies”
I used to wish I was dead, I knew no one would save me.

Nobody wanted to know the Secret, nobody would care, my point of view -skewed,
“wear your bra in house there’s men here, brush your hair, lipstick is your friend”
They called me Cinderella in the Christian Dungeon -
I corrupted their daughter so they put me in basement,
I was cold, covered my head with thin torn blankets so the monsters would get me,
The Beast of plagues,
“God will punish you for your behaviour, you’re going to burn in Hell, accept Christ now”!

Rarely words were spoken, I had nothing to say that could take away the pain,
I cried for my mom - a natural reaction,
I cried for someone to answer me,
I cried because I couldn’t help myself,
“you mother doesn’t want you to live with her anymore, so we’re going to adopt you”,
I remember giving up hope,
Being taken out of school to be home schooled by the neighbour,
I remember the bleach blonde bitch applying lip-liner to my whimpering pout,
“now you look pretty, go set the table, I’ll play Cain you play Abel”,
That was the night she burnt my hands in the kitchen sink,
I didn’t eat all of my Avocado meat.

After everyone went to bed, I slowly snuck up the linoleum stairs and out the side door,
A bag in my hand, and just a sweater and PJ bottoms….
I opened the white one windowed door on the side of the house,
slipped out the open gate with just enough space…
funny, but I don’t remember how I escaped from that place.