“Whispers that come in the night

Often carry further than those in the day”

Every night, tucking me into bed,

Were the words my mother used to say

She sing me a lullaby

And tell me stories of princesses falling in love

But each and every night

She’d remind me of the horrible times

She’d tell me who to fear

And would leave me nightmares when I’d wake

But to this day her words ring true

And I will never forget their value

She had meant that

Drunk words are sober thoughts

And that in the nighttime

Is when we’d see our scars

She’d meant that

Though we love and laugh

There are parts of us

That are burnt and black

We are broken and bruised

From years of standing too close to the flame

We always contain the pain

Time and time again

Life lessons she told me and my siblings

Each night before bed

Tucking us in

She’d say “don’t let your life end”

“let your voice echo

From the depths of the abyss

It must be heard

For your youth to rise”

“You only get to live once

Make the most of those hours

Keep the ones you love near

And never forget the love you share

With the world and each other”