fifth-graders bustle in
importantly dropping travel
toothpastes
shampoos
and soaps
into the box labeled “women’s shelter”
as the guest speaker begins I
pin myself against the back bulletin board
hoping they don’t notice my exhausted eyes
mismatched outfit and unwashed hair
my mind buzzes with questions
will I ever escape him?
why is this happening?
what friend will hide me tonight?
shame and fear
hold this secret that
my students do not know
their teacher is a social awareness project
-Tara L. Carnes
In her poetry chapbook Built to Last, Tara L. Carnes weaves the voices of survivors into poems to take a fearless look at domestic violence and the support systems that make it possible to heal from the trauma.
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