Please Don't

Please don’t look at the bruise on my face,

Please don’t ever drop by my place,

Please don’t ask me how I am,

Please don’t ask unless you give a damn.

Please let it go when I say that I’m fine,

Please ignore it when you see the signs,

I don’t know why they get so mad,

I wonder what happened to my Dad.

Please don’t say I just have to be strong,

Please don’t see what is really wrong,

I can take it, I don’t talk back or fight,

I can take it, it’ll be all right.

Please don’t notice, please don’t call,

When you hear a brawl through the wall,

I can take it, I don’t talk back or fight,

I can take it, it’ll be all right.

Please don’t notice all the fights,

Please give him time, he’s always contrite,

I can take it, I don’t talk back or fight,

I can take it, it’ll be all right.

Please don’t notice all the cops and the lights,

I couldn’t take it one more night,

Not one more blow or another fight.

They sigh; zip me up the body bag,

And they wonder why it had to be,

What you didn’t see was the death of me.