Caught in the Middle
![image of a girl's face with cracks](https://coffeehousewriters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/woman-8350760_1920-e1706295953815-660x400.jpg)
Animosity strikes like lightning
as childhood memories flash
like an old flickering film
A stark reminder, burdened
by towering expectations
Which lay heavy upon small shoulders
Middle child syndrome
a doll without a voice
Tiptoeing through minefields
of emotional mortars
Where the wrong look or word
Sets off a fiery explosion
Yet the scars and trauma
Remain hidden from sight
A generational curse
The hardest to fight