She sits in a corner, her face to the wall,

Staring into stone, stone and nothing and everything

She tries not to see the flashes of light

That reverberate on and on, reverberate forever

On the clear dark stone, on the nothing she sees

She has her forehead to the wall,

Her soft skin brushing against the jagged concrete

Trying to erase, hoping to erase, to forget

Or maybe to ignore,

She can't decide.

She can't hear the sounds

They must be terrifying

She can't hear the sounds,

She hums a lullaby

She can't hear the music

Where's Hushabye Mountain

Is there any left?

She's closing her eyes, she squeezes them shut

And yet she can see, as clear as night,

The lights that flash

On her skin on her hair

On the inside of her eyelids

The lights that flash

On her memory.

Subliminal images of violence and hate

How could it stem from love? How could it stem from love?

It's not even cold yet.

The sun has not come down.

Nothing outside mirrors her turmoil inside.

How could it stem from love?

She won't cry,

Not tonight.

Maybe tomorrow, when she turns out the light.

When all is confusion, hope and despair,

When all that has held

Crumbles in tears

How could it stem from love, how could he love her so.

She whispers to herself

Her fingers scratch the stone

She wants to free herself

From all that weighs on her

Like a stone

Like a noose

That tightens around her

Until she sees stars and constellations

Until she forgets the lights

Until she forgets the sun

Until she forgets that she has caused it all

Stars that blind but open her mind

Lights that flash

How could they stem from love?

She knows, though she suppresses

The feelings of disgust

She swallows.

She knows, though she won't admit

She knows it will end

Either way.

She dares not hope, she cradles herself

Wrapping her arms around the form

That he held yesterday.

Her eyes are red from staring

And still the lights flash

Across her burning skull

Across her clasped hands

Across her wounded heart

About to rip apart.

And still the lights flash

The lights stem from love

And still love flashes

Flashes away,

Dimly recalling,

Reverberating,

Echoing,

Forgotten,

And safe.