The Invisible Daughter
By Brenda Yuen
In childhood she escaped the madness
By living outdoors, climbing trees,
Searching for bugs, and four leaves
Until she was dragged inside by her mother.
As a teenager she escaped the frenzy
By adopting a new form of play.
No drugs, alcohol, or sex for her;
Instead she captured iron bullets
from her family’s emotional guns
And slowly healed them away…
She bore the pain, the shame, the hurt, and the guilt
Suffering was easy in the trauma prison they built.
She looked past the drinking, the smoking, and rage,
the alcohol, the partying, the sex —
Whatever’s “today” —
People she loved needed someone to pay.
She wrested their fears,
Gave care to their children,
Providing shelter for tears
Was her one lonely mission.
She watched for the signs,
And the reasons behind…
There was no way out
No brighter vision
Her family thrived
In chaos, pain, and doubt.
Locking away
Raw feelings & heavy emotion
Inside her family’s hell
She proved her true devotion.
With every ounce of
Her blood, sweat and tears
Donating portions of life
For so many years…
And now?
Now there’s salvation for the sick
But more pain to endure
Now she’s invisible to those
Whom she loves and wants more.
The invisible daughter –
The middle one –
Whom the hurting now fear
Turned family scapegoat
The outcast – their blur –
A target for torment & pain
They cannot bear to endure.
She’s a convenient alibi
They no longer see her
They have no more uses
They just don’t need her
She’s full of truth
And they need excuses.
For the invisible daughter
Is too much reminder
Of long-buried abuses
Now no one will find her.
