'Day And Night, Under The Stairs' Poem by Trevor Valentine

'Day and Night, Under the Stairs'
by Valentine

Six feet by three feet
Sloping, under the stairs
Trapped, tied, cocooned, cried out
No more tears left
Hurt beyond hurt

In here, there is no day or night
Just relentless time
Time to pass until the next vile encounter
Bringing pain, surging pain
Deepened iron poker pain

Eleven.

Now twenty four.

But the pain endures
The memory
The physical
The shame
The downward look
Is still all I am worth

Look down

The door is clumsily unlocked
Thrown open
With the precision of an alcohol fuelled broken glass
Waiting, needing to be refilled
I see the steely eyes, electric, distant,
Inert but intent
Scurrilous, frantic, lousy
Lousy like a worm
A putrid worm

They do not see the tears
Or the fear
Of a young boy
Only the appetite
Insatiable
Driving
Selfless
Worthless

Look down
Never look up
Never see the day or night;
An electric light
Is all you have
Under the stairs.