At night she falls asleep to the peaceful sound of quiet.
Her small world revolves around the safety of her bed.
She is awakened by the sound of home as it really is.
During sleep she can believe that the peace is real.
Like believing that the beauty of fresh fallen snow will remain forever.
The laughter that followed the Conqueror and the Conquered in the door
has been replaced with the shrieks of hatred.
The sound of splintering lives is like intermittent peals of thunder.
The others now come in and tell her it's okay.
"Go back to sleep, Baby. It's alright."
One hides, feigning sleep.
One sits and shakes in her outrage.
Some take another chug or drag or pill.
Each of their hearts are shattering,
like so many glasses thrown and broken into shards on the linoleum.
At some time in the night the quietness has returned.
She shifts in her security to see the others.
The Conqueror lays beside the Maiden.
Why does he lay with the Maiden?
Where is the Conquered?
Never mind. She's glad he doesn't lay with her.
The sunlight amazingly comes in the morning.
All were unsure whether the sun would shine again.
Downstairs pieces of the broken lives are being swept up.
The Conqueror reassembles the jagged pieces of yesterday.
While the Conquered slumbers.
She is greeted in the morning by a maiden with a sad grin.
"Never mind it all, Baby. It's alright now."
She smiles wearily wanting to believe.
Finding she has no choice,
she sweeps it away as a new day dawns.