Poetry

Beauty and the Beast

By Elaine Dawn

Her beauty would astound you her
kindness beyond belief
she died on Halloween
that night outlives my grief

They crowded her every existence
she was slowly losing control
his family had come from a far land
arriving daily to her lovely home

She calmed her nerves with food
too painful to look around it
masked away the horror
of the life she thought she'd found

One day she looked in the mirror
and saw what she had done
her shame was overwhelming
she felt she had to run

Run, run to the savior
the doctor with the knife
she begged for restoration
in an attempt to save her life

I tried to make her reason
"this is not the answer, not this way"
my voice she calmly silenced
"quit worrying, everything will be okay"

Anxiously, I waited by the door
when the deed was finally done
they ignored all my questions, then
"she's asleep now, tomorrow you can come"

I don't remember driving
but somehow reached my home
I couldn't shake this feeling
of something terribly wrong

Awakened... startled by the phone
a familiar voice soft and sweet
whispering "my mother's dead"
the phone fell to my feet

The clamps had not held strong
when she fell onto the floor
she had bled to death alone there
while I stood outside that door

© Elaine Dawn