To my father, I was just a painful echo,
He drank day and night,
struck me with his belt every night,
until he forgot I was his own.

My heart shattered the first time he struck,
but soon I saw he needed this release,
he wished to believe,
I was the cause of his grief,
so I let him be.

I allowed him his ease,
if it brought him some peace, then my pain seemed small.

I let him think it didn’t hurt,
took each blow with a forced smile,
hoping it would end soon,
but...