The speaker describes how pain fades faster than anyone expects: first the hurt, then the fear, then even the memory of what caused it. What stays behind are habits, like hiding their body under clothes and crying silently, that point to a pattern of mistreatment the speaker can no longer fully recall. They can remember only one hit, and not even the hit itself, just the before and after.
The poem also names quieter wounds: being mocked for crying, having fears dismissed as irrational. Judging by the speaker's words, these came from family members. The tone shifts when the speaker turns to their brother. They see the same treatment happening to him, and the poem moves from numb, searching confusion to protective resolve. The final line, "And I will not forget," feels like a vow. The mood is raw, tired, and quietly angry, with fear underneath, but it ends on determination rather than defeat.