Buttercup

Do you remember
The day I showed up on your doorstep
Crying my eyes out
So desperately afraid
Nowhere else to turn
Like a homeless dog
Out of breath
Restless
And so desperately afraid
I couldn’t say much
I was already afraid of the church
Afraid of more betrayal
My mouth was stitched
I just kept mumbling
“He’s angry, he’s angry”
I couldn’t say anything else
He would have hurt me
He would have hurt my mom
He would have hurt you too
The church would have hurt me again
You kept asking me
“Did he hurt you?”
I couldn’t tell you
I couldn’t show you
But you were there for me
When I was alone
And so desperately afraid
You just sat there with me
Neither of us could do much
I couldn’t say
Getting him involved
You couldn’t act
Getting the church involved
It was Bible study that night
You asked if I wanted to go home
Before my friends arrived
I just laughed
I didn’t want to go home at all
I sat through Bible study
My eyes bloodshot
Uncomfortably
Painfully
And so desperately afraid
I just wanted to say
Thank you for being there
Thank you Buttercup

-o0o-