you say it's up to me
to do the talking,
you get a phone call from school.
you answer,
nothing but silence at the other end.

"hello, i have your daughter in the
counselors office.
may i speak to brooke's mother?"

you take your finger
and wrap it around the phone wire.

"yes, this is her speaking."

you take a deep breath.

"hello how are you? i have brooke here in the counselors office, i'm sorry to bother you at work today, i'm sure you are busy. but do you have a few minutes to talk with me? i am very concerned about brooke today, her teacher says she wrote her persuasive paper on.."

-she pauses-

"cutting herself,"

you stare at the blank computer screen in front of you, frozen.

"i am very worried about Brooke, she says you knew about her harming her self-"

she stops speaking, waiting on a response.

you take a deep breath, scared, hurt and confused.

"i don't know if you would possibly agree with this, but i think Brooke needs counseling."

you drop the phone, in tears.
little did you know,
that your daughter
was fighting her own demons.
little did you know,
that the little brown and white
snakes tattooed on her wrist,
were a cry for help.
little did you know,
that she wanted
to be saved from herself.

-b.m