A Song, To Be Sung Alone In The Dark:

she said 

the devil taught her 

how to sing 

when she was only three

alone

and scared

of just about everything

she would sing

with a voice

that no one could hear

she said

her best friend

was the wall

that surrounded

her heart

and kept out the rain

the same wall

that held back the flood

from the well

that sprang up inside her

whenever

she dared to dream

she said

her parents taught her

to speak with her fists

but it was in

a dark alley

that she first

learned

to defend herself

with her lips

she said

that her home

was the edge

of a knife

each day

it cut deeper

until she practically

died

her head

full of riddles

and twisted charades

tears of self pity

would stream

down her face

blood soaked

and stained

she sings

in her watery 

grave

alone

and cold

afraid

of just about everything