They Failed Me

That day I walked in
With wounds on my skin
Angry red lines that burned

They were fresh and new
Deliberate too
Punishments I had earned

My clothes couldn't hide
The proof that I'd tried
To end hurt with more pain

The pattern laid bare
The secret to share
On my body a stain

I waited to hear
Lightheaded with fear
Someone say, "What happened to you?"

But when asked why
I mumbled a lie
They all acted like it was true

They left me alone
No concern was shown
So it happened again and again

I let no one see
What I did to me
They'd forgotten about it by then

Why were they so silent
When I was so violent
Why didn't they bother to try?

They watched me bleed
In my hour of need
They walked away, left me to die