The Candy Man Can

Caramel cascades down her cheeks,

Caramel cascades down her cheeks, her eyes are leaking.

Sumptuously sweet

Sumptuously sweet and free-flowing.

Lemon candy anger dissolves

Lemon candy anger dissolves into mild milk chocolate.

Eyes once held the Milky Way,

Eyes once held the Milky Way, now full of fear and insipid fudge.

Murky and sombre,

Murky and sombre, they

Murky and sombre, they shine

Murky and sombre, they shine no

Murky and sombre, they shine no more.

Her hair smelled as sweet as s t r a w b e r r y l a c e s.

Her hair smelled as sweet as s t r a w b e r r y l a c e s. Strawberry blond, plunging down her back.

Ripped out in fury, patches cover her scalp.

Bruises of blueberry bonbons,

Bruises of blueberry bonbons, mixed with red gum drops.

She grabs something sharp. Spills from her wrist.

Out flows cherry gummy bears, all with frowns.

Frowns adorn them, just like his

Frowns adorn them, just like his f i n g e r p r i n t s into her.

M a r s h m a l l o w s.

M Stuffed into her head to a block out all normality. r And help. s h m a l l o w s.

No toasted marshmallows; no ember in sight.

"Patience", she says,

"Patience", she says, "he's not finished with me. Y E T."

... Domestic abuse is not sweet. Don't let it happen to you.