Isobell's dolls

we rounded the corner laughing    
and there she was    
Isobell the youngest of us    
rag dolls in a heap, playing    
   
she'd renamed them all    
one for each of the family    
charming in its way    
   
only, the one named after her    
was having its stuffing beaten out    
by the one she'd called mother    
talking up a storm of abuse    
   
didn't know much back then    
just a kid myself    
but knew enough to get the chills    
backed up without a word    
   
and yeah the one named after me    
just lay in a heap with the rest    
smile sewn on    
not doing a damn thing    
   
last few years    
when life beat the daylights out of Isobell   
we stood right by her    
took hit after hit    
loved her thorough    
didn't back up for a second    
   
took the stuffing    
right out of us    
ended up back there    
in a rag doll heap    
smiles sewn on    
   
but if this time    
we saved her some of the beating    
then we  
Isobell's rag dolls    
have no regrets