Victim

to say nothing can come
of it, to say the stain
remains no less visible than
those first, dreadful days
is the easy way

to evade victim of rape
insinuations fed on bequest,
an immorality of incestuous
degradation bled deeper
than always

there’s no buying back
innocence intact knowing
the differences, culpabilities
of fact; without panacea
she has to pay

gave up idyllic beliefs of
cleansing for anonymity
for material assurances –
became essence of the
question weighed:

“were you that woman?”
Yes, she says...
© 25 February 2009, I. D. Carswell