The virus in her blood sent signals to her brain,

Settled in and poisoned her heart

Caused her body to sway

So her prayers never reached home

sold herself to the highest bidder,

put her soul on auction blocks

Counted the hairs on the insides of her thighs,

told her what she needed to hear

He won’t know how to fix her

He will try to fit his brokenness under her pillow

Convinced he can cut her dreaming in half

 

I won’t know how to explain her

Won’t be able to tell her:

 

“Baby this happens to the best of us”

 

But no one buys what they haven’t seen

so her body will be put on display

Turn my way baby let me examine your insecurities,

show me the toughness of a broken spirit

You aren’t priceless

Look at your pieces

 

I will scatter you over our mother’s hands so she can pray you into God’s lap

My sister I have picked out something beautiful for you to wear

Something nice for your hair

Turn around so I can remember you

Dream of your body in fragments

He won’t know how to make complete sentences of his intentions

No one taught him when it had gotten bad

So he will define his limits by the bruises on your face

The scares on your damaged heart

The marks left in a battered brain

 

I know this wasn’t always the plan

To allow a man to define himself in you

To leave nests tangled in a broken halo

We aren’t perfect so while you sleep I’ll caress a dream you had

Whisper bible scriptures on your eye lashes

Pray you never blink them away.