Collateral

Surrounded
Bustling crowds and filthy places
Raised by cold, unfamiliar faces
Possessing various disturbing sounds

The bills were piling high again
He hadn't worked in weeks, she said
Steam would slip from time to time
But never went unpunished, you'll find
Accidents always had consequences
She fell victim to his cruel intentions

Calculated savagery and
Acts that poisoned sanctity

He looked at her with cold, dark eyes
Ferocity he couldn't hide
Music blared over their contentions
Branding memories too dark to mention

Knuckles red and vision blurred
No end in sight to the noises heard
Inescapable peril in a constant plight
Childhood never regained its light