there is blood on the steps

of the brick house

chalk outline washed away

the blood is here to stay

there is a cloud hanging

over it won’t go away

she’s quiet

they call it solid

in truth

what would she say

it keeps on raining

buckets of trauma

tragedy

after

catastrophe

drama after drama

the song keeps playing

every thing but tears

falling  she goes

on because she must

she like a lot of us

it’s called strength

they say she so strong

because where she

been walking no one

else wants to walk along

the river of sad stories

running down the main

street in her life

she holds her head high

trying to be tall enough

to catch a blessing

if he don’t give more

than you can take

ask him what he’s trying

to make

there’s blood on the steps

little inside

next to nothing left

she swallows sorrow

she takes another step

how does she go on

what else would she do

she lives in a brick house

struggle scribbled on the stoop

she climbs over

the blood on the steps

and goes on