he will stroke her face and whisper
"honey, little one, are you asleep?"
he knows she can hear him
and is only faking dreams
seven years of life, and the last four
she spent in fear of darkness...
knowing that he would come to her
in the blackest of hours
still shivering, she draws the quilted covers
tighter around her tiny body
the door creaks open...
a beam of light from the hallway invades her room
he steps inside, and shuts the door
"honey, little one, are you asleep?"
he asks,responding
to her waking nightmare
perched on her bedside, daddy sits
and strokes the face of little one
then he moves his ivory hand
down the child's body
little one shivers in fear
"oh, honey, you are awake!
i knew you wouldn't want to sleep
when you can be with me"
his hand is moving farther down
"there little one, doesn't that feel good?
you love your daddy, don't you?
then touch your daddy here..."
her hand is on her daddy's sin
he's moaning
"good daughter... good daughter..."
she's crying now, silently
he finishes, bends down
to kiss his girl-child on the cheek
"i love you little one," he whispers
as he shuts her bedroom door
alone again, the young one cries
and tries to dream of better nights
she's safe until tomorrow...
when he kisses her goodnight
