Skin Deep

Chasing fireflies in the yard,
Tiny flashlights guiding my path
straight to you.
Tall, handsome
(to my 5-year-old eyes)
Studious with glasses
and strong hands.
Those hands held your super power.
Smooth, soft, gentle,
they made me relax and feel safe
lying next to you
on your bed
while those hands,
those long fingers,
explored everywhere.
Broken trust has sharp edges
easily used to cut
safety to shreds,
but nobody noticed the tattered obedience
I wore
or the lost innocence
when you got tired of exploring
with just those fingers.
The only thing people saw
was the mask you wore
that made you look
like an ordinary teenage boy.
Not like a thief
who could steal a little girl's love
without even trying.
Not like a brute
who could tear a little girl in two
without even stopping
to wonder
which was worse:
Being a monster in human skin?