The wind whistles and howls late into the hours of darkness
Owls call
Tree branches rattle as if to shake off their leaves
She’s alone

It’s nearly midnight and she walks around the park aimlessly
resting every now and then
sitting on the bench with her head in her hands
wondering why and how her life got so screwed up

She jumps up on the jungle gym
and screams
she leaps onto the monkey bars and swings herself violently until her palms grow sweaty
looking down, degrading words bash around her head

JUST DO IT
LET GO YOU WORTHLESS LITTLE GIRL
YOU CAN’T HOLD ON FOREVER
NO ONE WILL CARE IF YOU FALL

she held on
just a little bit longer
and then down down down
she fell

there she lay
limbs twisted beneath her on the ground
she fell asleep
in the autumn leaves