I stared my past in the face
As all the memories leaked in through my walls
The flower on my bedside table
From my father that he'd given me after my school play
And I recalled the flowers in my hair
On my 8th birthday that he came to and stayed the whole day
I remember the song our class recited line for line
And later dancing to it with a friend before she moved away
I remember the tweety bird blanket my sister and I used to use as a magic carpet
And that same blanket that was later the nest for my new puppy
I remember the name a guy said to me that stung so much
And saying the same name about a girl that made me so jealous
I remember the promises he whispered in my ear that night
And those same promises that he took back when he got bored a few months later
I remember the way I clung to my best friend when I was scared
And the way she did the same when she cried against my knee
I remember the hurt I felt when watching the show about special victims
And the same hurt when she told me the way he touched her in the dark
I remember those hands around me that used to be safe for me
And the hands that later restrained me from getting away
I remember the way she used to look at me with love
And the same look I now use for them
I remember her rocking me when I was sick with the flu
And later rocking myself when I was sick with heartache
I remember him brushing my hair so carefully when I was young
And brushing my hair quickly after he stopped coming over
I remember the shirt I used to love
That she later wore too because I refused to get rid of it
I remember the way he hugged me when we first met and were so happy together
And the way he hugged me after a year had passed without our friendship