faith lost its luster
it’s often misused
i forget where i placed it
after all the abuse

protected and nurtured
with love and support
the girl growing up
in a world of adventure and sport

layers of shame
built upon guilt
peeling them back
the only way to rebuild

magic fell once
down to the ground
she picked it up quickly
with no one around

the skin i’m in
looks like mine
a hundred scars carved over time

sometimes uncovered
washed with shame
trapped in chains of guilt restraints

he lies down in bed
her ghost lay beside him
what once held warmth
now holds only silence

she said she’d never do it
but sometimes people change
not for the better, sadly
maybe it’s just a phase

i’ve seen this view a time or two
though never quite the same
across the lake the skyline sinks
to meet the fading flame

hope, come back
why can’t you stay?
time to myself
feels like a cage…

years together dissipate
it only took one call
we each agreed
we each had needs
i asked if we could stall