I laughed bitterly
When she told me
What she was about to do to me
And as the years passed
Everything she was about to do to me
Has painstakingly been done.
I wince at the incisions,
The wounds ever raw.
I try to laugh but no sound comes.
I think about that,
Blinded by my innocence and tears.
It’s her turn to laugh now
And she does.
John Tustin is currently suffering in exile on the island of Elba but hopes to return to you soon. fritzware.com/johntustinpoetry contains links to his published poetry online.