The unborn feeds on the fear lining her womb

Rocked to  sleep by the rhythm of fists

Angry hands of a father

Who too grew in a fearful womb

And the blood and tears trail in a circle

as the path of torn flesh falls  in a circle

Yanked from the haven into black and blue world

Loud noises, harsh voices  lullaby  through

the cracks of swollen lips

Nursery rhymes of the damned

Curses and slurs  form circles round the room

Spoken pain hurled in a circle

The only quiet in family secrets

Publicly hidden for all to see

Caring stops where numbness begins

burrowing  inside the heart

feeding on the fear within

And the heart  pumps apathy round in  circles

and the heart breaks into a circle

Mel Taylor  copyright 1997