The girls tears trickle like a leaky faucet,
Sliding down her cheecks in silent surrender
under the illuminating street lamp.
She hands the decrepit, grey-headed old
cab driver her money-mostly wadded up
one dollar bills and change,
which her shaking, trembling hand almost drops.
But the ashen faced old man
Doesnt let go.
She steps timidly out of the gaudy yellow cab into the
icy winter air that greets her with
open claws and bared teeth.
She clutches her beat-up suitcase and
Doesnt let go.
She looks cautionsly up at the dilapidated old
apartment complex in front of her.
The tears suddenly stop when she sees the light
in the upstairs windwo.
The girl knows he is waiting for her.
She should go on up and face the music,
Do what she has yearned to do for many years-
But she stands-
rooted to her spot and
Doesnt let go.
The glow is briefly muted by a figure passing by.
She hears padded footsteps on the stairs.
The figure is huge and hulking, massive.
Her inner self is screaming,
she sees flashes of black and red.
Can he hear her heart pounding so loud?
She grabs onto her coat flaps, shaking and
Doesnt let go.
The rusty old iron door creeks open,
Slow, hesitatingly at first, then
Urgently and needing, eager.
She wants to turn and run into the night
Like she did so many years before-
But her fear is gripping her steadily now, and it
Doesnt let go.
She releases her breath in a forced rush.
She clenches her teeth, prepared.
For what? She does not know, this is
unchartered territory.
He looks at her and raises his hand.
She cowers for a moment, fresh new tears
filling her eyes.
Remembering.
But then she gathers her strength and only then
only then
Does she realize he is opening his arms.
She rushes into them, sobbing and forgiving.
A wall inside her crumbles.
The man clenches her tightly, and smoothes the hair of
the daughter he once hated.
She breathes in the tobacco and
peppermind smell of him.
But something is missing.
The alcohol on his breath.
She holds on and
Doesnt let go.
Sliding down her cheecks in silent surrender
under the illuminating street lamp.
She hands the decrepit, grey-headed old
cab driver her money-mostly wadded up
one dollar bills and change,
which her shaking, trembling hand almost drops.
But the ashen faced old man
Doesnt let go.
She steps timidly out of the gaudy yellow cab into the
icy winter air that greets her with
open claws and bared teeth.
She clutches her beat-up suitcase and
Doesnt let go.
She looks cautionsly up at the dilapidated old
apartment complex in front of her.
The tears suddenly stop when she sees the light
in the upstairs windwo.
The girl knows he is waiting for her.
She should go on up and face the music,
Do what she has yearned to do for many years-
But she stands-
rooted to her spot and
Doesnt let go.
The glow is briefly muted by a figure passing by.
She hears padded footsteps on the stairs.
The figure is huge and hulking, massive.
Her inner self is screaming,
she sees flashes of black and red.
Can he hear her heart pounding so loud?
She grabs onto her coat flaps, shaking and
Doesnt let go.
The rusty old iron door creeks open,
Slow, hesitatingly at first, then
Urgently and needing, eager.
She wants to turn and run into the night
Like she did so many years before-
But her fear is gripping her steadily now, and it
Doesnt let go.
She releases her breath in a forced rush.
She clenches her teeth, prepared.
For what? She does not know, this is
unchartered territory.
He looks at her and raises his hand.
She cowers for a moment, fresh new tears
filling her eyes.
Remembering.
But then she gathers her strength and only then
only then
Does she realize he is opening his arms.
She rushes into them, sobbing and forgiving.
A wall inside her crumbles.
The man clenches her tightly, and smoothes the hair of
the daughter he once hated.
She breathes in the tobacco and
peppermind smell of him.
But something is missing.
The alcohol on his breath.
She holds on and
Doesnt let go.