The Rehab Chronicles

The Rehab Chronicles

Day 1 –
She is fragile, frail,
emotionally scarred.
Her hands shake in her lap
as she sits silently in the circle.
Would you like to share?
She makes no sound.
Her arms are bandaged,
her eyes are blackened.
She makes no sound.
The world spins slowly around.


Day 5 –
She is shaking and scared,
hands clasped together tight.
They are all staring at her,
judging her,
she knows it.
The girl beside her tells her story,
now it’s her turn, they turn to her.
She makes no sound.
Her bruises have not faded,
her scars will never heal.
She makes no sound.
The world spins slowly around.


Day 10 –
Her eyes dart around
as she watches the circle
where everyone is hugging,
crying, healing.
She gently unwraps a bandage,
watches it unravel from her arm.
She makes no sound.
The circle has stopped hugging,
they are watching her unravel.
She makes no sound.
The world spins slowly around.


Day 15 –
Her arms are barren,
covered in angry red scars.
She picks softly at a scab.
Her eyes meet another’s across the circle.
Won’t you share with us today?
She makes no sound.
Her eyes are no longer blackened,
they have faded to normal coloring.
Still she makes no sound.
The world spins slowly round.

Day 30 –
She smiles at a new girl,
who sits silently across the circle,
staring at the floor.
She raises her arms and slowly speaks,
“I tried to kill myself,
because my step-father beat me.”
She makes no sound,
the new girl across the circle,
but her eyes dart around.
She makes no sound,
and the world spins slowly around.