You see the girl
On her face is fury and confusion
The emotions are weak
Mostly because she doesn’t understand

She is too young
Too innocent and sweet
Not that she always acts so
To realize the underlying heaviness of this situation

You see the girl’s brother
Older and tougher
He believes himself to be wiser
Maybe he is, but he doesn’t quite understand

He is too good
While he wouldn’t admit such
And while some don’t notice it
He always sees the best in people

You see the girl’s father
And if you are sensible
You feel your stomach drop with pity
For he is burdened with understanding

He is too tired
This man has been worn down
Without his children
The weight of another man’s life might crush him

You see the girls’ mother
Not in the literal sense of the word
But she is there
Inside them all

You can see her in the man’s heart
The boy radiates her goodness
The girl in her innocence and passion
She holds them all

And what you see is a family
Holding it together
When everything possible
Is trying to break them apart