I laid down a rule for myself
But I couldn’t help but let the energies in
Seeing broken hearts around me
Suffering in silence
But I could feel their darkness
I could hear the words they weren’t saying
Hurting, Hungry, Humbled
Tears left uncried
Pent up inside
For fear they might be frozen to their face
And the world might see their disgrace

Just needing a little bit of money
To feed his waiting child
Small hungry mouths understand more
Than we give them credit for
People close up their pockets
Pinching their pennies
My money won’t go to drugs! Get a job!
Some dare to even mutter it out loud
They do not understand the struggles
Disabilities, trauma, abuse
The climb is all uphill
Heartbroken he waits
Just a few dollars
Trying to make ends meet
He wants to end the suffering
But can’t see an end in sight

Down the street a woman weeps
Careful not to let her black eyes show
The judgements she’d face she already knows
She wants to break free and run away
But he keeps pulling her back, making her stay
She can only dream of getting free of his handcuffs
But the dreams turn to dark ways that may land her behind bars
It’s the only way though she can think to stop the scars
She’s just not ready to end it all
But something needs to end before it’s too late

The baby lays in her room sobbing
She doesn’t understand why the touches feel bad
When she’s told they aren’t
She’s told not to tell
So she lays in her room
Crying broken silent tears
That only she hears
The pain and darkness needs to end
To mend a life, to save a life.