By Gaylie, Gaylie@wam.umd.edu
Date: 9 May 1999

Dark

It was just a normal night
some kids from long island
who'd been sheltered for too long
by their parents
and their town
who taught them to fear the city
because bad things happened there
so they did
suddenly!
a beer buzz and an adrenaline rush
overcome logic and everything her parents taught her
and that room was darker
than anything she'd ever remembered
even darker than the bathroom she was locked in
when she was five years old
and at first first she stayed quiet
because the intensity was too loud
she couldn't hear
as he rushed at her like a train
unstoppable
like the long island railroad
back and forth
back and forth
she wanted to save herself
but after the fact it was worthless
because she had already lost all faith
in men
so now she must attempt to fight the dark
and every day she must struggle to reclaim her soul
the soul
of a woman