A Fairy Tale

Once upon a time
isn't that how they are supposed to start?
Fairy tales and nursery rhymes
stories for children
but what about the real life fairy tales?
Where the evil forces strive to take command
control your mind, decimate your body
through your own need, uncontrollable urges
tormenting yourself emotionally and physically
use the one to keep the other at bay
after all, what hurts worse?
The small pain of a cigarette burn?
Or the huge gnawing rat of the emotional anguish
piled layer upon layer, time after time
day after day, year after year
and then locked away inside your mind
contaminating your soul?
But the rat is never really locked away
he gnaws his way out
runs freely through the dark avenues
of your most secret thoughts
unleashes memories thought to have been shut up tight
in small hermetically sealed compartments
never to be re-opened
but the rat doesn't care
he will gnaw away until
out spring old hurts and wrongs
bloated by decay
from years of stewing in their own vile sauce
demonic recipes to bring you back to
the small quivering helpless child within.
Terror is no stranger to the child
she has lived in a state of constant fear
since she was begotten years ago
on a hot summer's night
by a man that was supposed to protect
but instead he violated,
crushed hope and turned
dreams into nightmares
and taught the beauty of cold, sharp steel
but when you try to release the child with the blade
he stops you for reasons of his own
selfish and brutal reasons they may indeed be
but you can escape from his death grip
become more than he sees you to be
live life to its fullest
hide the child
put up a brave front
people will talk of you saying
'she is such a strong woman
I wish I were as strong as she is'
and you think to yourself late at night
as the rat gnaws at the sealed compartments
that you wish you were as strong
as they think you to be
that you could indeed control your own hand
as the bright glow comes nearer
mating with the flesh
in searing, yet exquisite
pain