How Much Is It?

By Pandora Poikilos

How much is it
To put a roof over her head and
provide her with the comforts of a house
To give her favourite toys
at every opportunity you get
To watch her enjoy her shiny new red bicycle

How much is it
To rob her of her innocence
For her to spend a lifetime
Figuring out what has happened

How much is it
For her to spend so much of her life misunderstood
For her to wake up with nighmares,
night after night
For her to never feel safe

How much is it
For the moments when you tell her
it's all her fault
For the cutting words that she
deserves the pain
For the comfort that she will never feel

How much is it
For all the days when she will
feel worthless
For the love she is sure she
doesn't deserve
For the future she is certain
has no light for her

How much is it
For the distrust she will feel at
having her own children
For the destruction she will
put herself through
And for the moment, she will
feel her soul shatter into pieces

How much is it
For the day when
she'll finally realise
That it's not her fault,
and she'll walk away
And you'll wish, on every wish,
that you can take it all back.