Winner 13 years category

My name is Thomas  

My name is Thomas
I don't understand
The door is closed again
What is going on?
All I hear is screams
Screams of my big sister
Or so I think
I try to help her
Try to understand
She's says I'm too young
When the door opens
Daddy comes home
And acts all drowsy
Mumbling and burping with dreary eyes
He sends me to my room
It is happening again
The screaming

My name is Claire
My cuts and bruises never heal
I have ever known what fatherly love is
Mum can't do anything to stop it
I cannot retreat
I plead for mercy
But my screams are only heart
By ears that care
My little brother tries to help
Tries to understand
How can I say it right?
He sees my cuts and bruises
Asks what they are from
I just fell over
The door opens
I hear heavy foot prints
Its time

My name is Thomas
I don't know where she is
My big sister is gone
There aren't any more screams
I can't find her anywhere
Where is she?
I head up to my room
A letter on my bed
Thomas
It's from my sister
I read it
My dad is a monster
It's all making sense
All of the pieces
Coming together
I can't hear it
But I understand it
The screaming

My name is Claire
My father did it again
Why to me?
I gave Thomas a letter
Hoping he'll understand
When he knows what happened
I think
I hope
I know
He'll know why
I left him alone
It will not be repeated
I feel terrible
There's no way to put this simply but
That day I gave him the letter
That day I hung my head
I died that day

My name is Thomas
It's been 8 years
My father treats me how he treated Claire
I too scream
But my screams
Only fill ears that care
He's a vile creature
Nothing to be helped
I'm not like Claire
I'm not strong
I can't do anything about it
Just like Claire
I left a letter on my Mum's bed
To let her know
My name is Thomas
I died that day

By Sophie Ogborne