A Flaming Sword cloaked in Righteousness, seared onto hearts in the name of God–

words of warning from Godly Men to those who dared to question–

words of finality from mother to son, told to stay away forever–

words of sorrow from son to daughter, excising her soul–

words of anger spilling down to a sister, ripping her spirit–

words of what-might-have-been echoed to an unborn baby boy–

words that closed doors, severed ties, starved flesh, erased memories,

murdered love itself

while heads were turned away

Dark tears fall into a puddle below

Puddle to stream to river to ocean

Midnight blue oceans

Filled with inky tears from hollow eyes

My children are drowning and crying and afraid

 Shackled, I am screaming for help…

But nobody hears