Dream Catcher Poem by Laura Clayton

There is a dream catcher hung above my bed to keep away the bad dreams:
Dreams of sharp-tongued names called by vicious snakes in school uniform,
A corner where I sit alone, tears cascading on an open book,
Friends who get close to me just to stab me in the back
Razorblades and scissors gliding repeatedly across my skin,
A boy who mistakes sex for love,
Food that lies on my plate untouched,
A man who calls himself my father sneaking into my bedroom at night for a ‘cuddle’,
And a mother who always takes me to the hospital because I “fell down the stairs”
There is a dream catcher hung above my bed to keep away the bad dreams
But it is not working.