Is Anybody Listening? Poem by Beverly Brown

Is anybody there?
Is anybody listening?
Do you even care?
Or am I not worth anything?

I was sitting in my room
As he opened the house door
I began to shake all over
As I heard him walk across the floor

My heart was beating fast
And a tear fell down my cheek
It wouldn’t be much longer
Before it was I that he would seek

I had just got out of school
It was hard to cover the bruises on my neck
I didn’t get much sleep
And my hair was a complete wreck

My teeth began to clench
My body started to shake
I bowed my head and said a prayer
As my life was now at stake

He started walking up the stairs
And growling like a bear
He threw his beer bottle against the wall
As if he didn’t care

He threw open my bedroom door
And picked me up by my shirt
He threw me on my bed
And kicked me like I was dirt

“Please don’t do this to me! ”
I yelled really loud
“You’re hurting me bad! ”
As the blood from my face was pouring down

With every whimper
And every tear
He beat me harder
As I laid helplessly in fear

My body was numb
And I couldn’t breathe
And then he took a pillow
And he smothered me!

I was only eight
Bright-eyed and never a bother
How could you hurt me?
I was your daughter!

Is anybody there?
Is anybody listening?
Did you even care?
Guess I was worth nothing.