I was only a child when it happened
And the sight made me empty inside
My young mind became well-acquainted
With the unreality of this life
Everything seemed a haze
Nothing could make me feel
Save an ever-looming panic
Always threatening to appear
‘Will I ever be whole again?’
Wondered the child of nine
When they asked why I never smiled
I told them that I was fine
The emptiness never subsided
Neither that gruesome sight
Appearing in shadows and dreams
Terrorizing my every night
The child slowly grew
And so did their wounds
Some measure of feeling returned
But peace continued to elude
My nerves have never forgotten
They perpetually twitch and shake
As if the unspeakable thing happened
Not even a yesterday