No One Noticed

A much-favored arm, with eyes downcast,
Slight winces at voices that hinted at wrath,
Then that week, the absence or two,
A tiny welt, and once a mark, dark hued,
But children are prone to suffer some bumps;
No one ever noticed.

She slumped at her desk with a sulky attitude,
Frequent trips to the nurse as the school years flew,
"Too much of a loner", "Not many friends",
The notes in her file depended on trends,
But everyone expects youth to react;
No one ever noticed.

The girl stopped working at her fast food job,
And for the first days, all they did was mock
The craziness, of one who rarely spoke,
The girl who died in the Monday fire's smoke,
But the papers reported it---page six---Jane Doe;
No one ever noticed.

(republication from my original, published 6/22/2006)