Witness

poor broken girl

I see the rage 

in you

coming out in the form

of sickness

and your anger

that the doctors 

cannot see 

your symptoms 

and so they cancel 

you out

like a bad debt

and when I read

your stories

I see the path 

you have come down

could have been

me too

if I was less

fortunate

in both luck

and family 

the pair of which are

outside our choosing 

and can merely 

be gripped

like a handful 

of cards

in this dark 

pool-hall

of a world

the terrible things

you have seen

cannot be erased

and so 

I can only 

stand at a distance 

and bear

witness

and say

see the truth of her

see the strength 

that she carries 

see her heart 

where the kindness

cannot be 

washed out