Nightmare Poetry

Uncle Jake

By Sophia Wiseman-Rose

The little girl next door is being abused.

She doesn’t know it.

A thirty-three-year-old friend of your parentscannot be your “boyfriend”when you are six.

He never has to threaten her.

Her parents are oblivious.

They smile and say,“She’s so attached to Uncle Jake,”and leave them alone together.

One day she will remember.

She will blame her parents.She will despise herself.Perhaps she will hate Uncle Jake.

But the person she should hateis me.

Because I know.

And I do nothing.

No one would believe me.

That is what I tell myself,anyway.