dysfunctional family with smiling faces

i walked away at 18

lived though 5 years in the fetal position

no internal injuries but my soul was bruised

my battle scars hidden with a melancholy smile

married a man with no hope or motivation

earned my motherhood badge

he drank himself into a nightly stupor

as i educated my thirsty mind

divorce was the best thing that ever happened to me

found my soul, my courage, my desires

my daughter is fighting her own battles

eyes like mine, hair like mine, skin like mine

a sprinkle of constellations across her nose

but inherited her father's tortured soul

we live alone taking one step at a time

learning, earning, our place in line

in this roller coaster of life....