POETRY | TRAUMA | DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

What His Eyes Saw

He saw it all

Image created by author using Bing Image Creator — source

He cowered in the corner
there was nowhere else for him to go
his drawing pad and grey lead pencil
beside him
discarded
on the kitchen floor

He clamped his lips
held his breath
blocked his pre-pubescent ears
but like he’d done many times
he did not close his eyes

He knew too well
how the scene before him
would escalate
devolve
His father unrecognizable
a monster raging uncontrolled
looming huge impenetrable
fathomless fatherless evil-black eyes

He remained there like a statue
what else was he to do
wedged into a makeshift trap
behind the wooden door
Terror froze his senses
paralyzed his imperative to run
while all the while
torture seared
his soft unguarded eyes