In love, because it always happened in
fairytales. But then she saw daddy

hit mommy, dig his nails into her skin
and make her bleed until she cried

and the pain mommy felt when
daddy left and never came back.

Emmy used to believe in god, because
that’s what she was taught at church

every sunday afternoon. But then she saw
her best friend in the hospital, hooked up

to wires, too tired to go to school or
shop with her friends, and then one morning

she received a phone call and found out
that her best friend was dead.

Emmy used to believe in virtue, but then
she saw daddy get off easy in court,

never have to give a cent to mommy,
who struggled to provide a meal each day,

and then she realized that
bad people had it better.

Now emmy believes in power.
she works her way to the top,

willing to cheat and murder to win,
because she knows that what they teach

in sunday school ain’t true and that
you have to be out for yourself to survive.