A NAME ON THE LIST

Painting by Renato Costa




They hid refined cruelties beneath the green armor.
She watched everything paralyzed on the faded red sofa
as her heart shrank slowly and the dolls were broken.

First some shouts and slaps, then punches and blood
and blood and blood through the endless night.

"what do you know girl?"
She knew the purity of pure despair, the truth imposed by fear.
She knew she had to respect what disrespected her.

When they left, grandma in tears kneeled down,
clasped something in her hands and prayed and prayed and prayed.
Tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock

She still has his glasses in a box with some withered petals.

Nothing was said or seen.
More than thirty years have gone by. He is another name on the list.

Karla Bardanza

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Copyright©Karla Bardanza 2011

1 comment:

  1. We should have the power to erase the list. My heart bleeds.... Heavy flower, heavy.

    ReplyDelete