Pain and terror have consumed me whole,
Rendered me into a lifeless body,
Into a state of numbness so cold,
It blocks my air passageways.

Yet, it still invades my shuddering heart,
Waves of shock and grief soak through me,
Make me lurch back and forth.

Here she lies, before my eyes;
Silently waiting for me.
My trembling legs, my heavy feet,
Take a step, before they deem me too weak.

I slump on the floor, at her feet;
An inhumane scream tears at my throat,
But all that comes out of me is a choked sob.
I have failed as her shield.

Oh my beloved, oh my heart,
What have they done to you?

Now my tears spill, as has my blood;
I bled inside as my daughter bled,
As she bled, suffered and called out for me;
My heart answered, it screamed,
But she never heard me.

Grief so immense, devastating to the core;
Only takes those who love completely,
And Oh God, I have loved. I love her;
She is my all. She is my all.

I part my lips, find my voice;
Speak words I had dreaded to speak.
I extend my arms, exhale a wail,
Beg for a one-sided embrace.

And once more,
Like a million times before,
She is in my arms, my embrace her home.
But her little heart is not beating;
and mine, pressed against hers, won’t stop screaming.


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