Spoon River Middle School: 52

Abby West

Free Writing (A Country Song)

My daddy hit me with his belt.

My mom was always drunk.

My brother always beat me up.

My sister?  She went punk.

My uncle groped me in the hall

And said it felt real fine,

And Cousin Larry showed me his,

Then said I must show mine.

Chorus:

            So don’t go singing all about

            How childhood is so free,

            And don’t you ever treat me, boy,

            Like I am fam-i-ly.

An uncle frenched me when he saw

That I was growing breasts.

He’s always staring at my butt—

Can’t think of what comes next.

Another cousin held me down

And poured beer over me.

My aunt just watched and laughed so hard

She said she nearly peed.

            Chorus.

My grandma gave me cigarettes

When I was only 8.

Then Grandpa smiled his yellow smile,

Said pot was also great.

And Uncle Tyler, high on meth,

He grabbed my curly head

And told me I should wait for him—

He’d see me soon—in bed.

            Chorus

So now I’m in a foster home—

Where no one bothers me.

And now I’m in a different school—

At last I’m breathing free.

            Chorus