She stands alone out in the night
A shadowy figure illuminated by the fire's light
tears streaming down a face all aglow
She stares at the house that was never a home
And watches it burn like the bridges long ago
And It burns so beautifully,
That savage blaze, a lion roaring
in triumph as it consumes its kill
and licking away every little morsel
The flames roar and lick at the eaves and window sills
Heat surrounds her in like a warm embrace
Something never known to her in this place
Joy always fleeting and never much
Found in the hidey-holes and crawl-spaces
Away from the revulsion of his touch
‘Love’, but not love, just a sordid task
A chore to endure, her face always a mask
A brave face she put on to hide the fear
And she bore her burden with nary a tear
Until at last she had the courage to leave there
Then, like a blur, many years went past
And she thought herself free from the pain at last
Finally free to lower her walls
To truly love, maybe have her own family and all
But the memories came back when she answered the call
Pleas for forgiveness, he was not the same
Could she not believe he had actually changed?
Begging her to come home for she was sorely missed
And he hadn’t much time so it was his wish
To see her once more, it would bring him so much bliss
And so she had decided to come
Hoping she could forgive him for all he had done
Oh she tried, indeed she really did try
But still she could see the predator’s eyes
There was no regret, his words were all lies
Oh, how she had suffered before she fled
Every moment at home filled with dread
And there it was rising, her disgust and hate
She would punish him now, he deserved his fate
Though for the innocence he took, it was too late
And now… a sound shook her from her reverie
Through misty eyes she looked up to see
As the rafters broke with a thunderous ‘CRACK!’
And the roof caved in and walls collapsed
Sending embers and sparks into the night’s black
The breath she held, she now released
After all these years she finally knew true peace
Though the wrongs could never be set right
She had her justice by the flames she did ignite
And her darkness washed away by the fire’s light
She turned her back and walked off into the night
[Cheated a bit here. Started off the poem with the second stanza initially, but as I kept writing I felt like what i then had as my second stanza fit in better as the fist, so i swapped them.]
