Poetic Voices Winner, 5th Place The world is beautiful, peaceful. There are lessons to be learned everywhere Grandfather would show me the difference between my beloved pets and tonight’s dinner. Survival of the fittest? More like the free. Liberate them God. When daddy comes home he teaches me the difference between a housewife and a punching bad. It never mattered if momma was pregnant or not Thank God little sister was the last baby in this marriage. Premature but not lost. I wish I could have warned my stepmom, and all the other dead babies. Maybe people do miscarry that many times. Does daddy blame me for the fire? I showed Papa and he tried to save us. The world smolders, burning memories, our ashes blow in the wind of denial. Will I miss these things? No love here. I think I missed the bus to school. Will I ever walk down our dirt road again? Kindergarten will have to wait today; I say to myself, Firemen try to pacify me with Coca-Cola. I sit by a rail, near the gate, staring at our waiting dead They walk about oblivious to their destiny. I hold my lunchbox, my new security, looking for my momma. She arrives home to find the home fires burnt, and a new husband in my uncle. Security and stability ran off with the circus, ended up on the ocean. You wash over me in waves. Doing what we were taught well; how to kill weakness Abuse always justified the outcome in our house I never wanted to be you, yet you are everything I am Daddy taught me emotional terrorism, and how to lay awake listening Vegetables don’t cry. I make people suffer, but not animals. Not anymore. J.L. Riddle |