You don't know me.
Or my unrequited dreams,
You haven't seen my failure,
Or witnessed me endure,
You don't hear my heartbeat,
Or the patter of my feet,
You can't feel my nerves on end,
Or see how my fingers bend,
You don't know my secrets,
Or memories I'd like to forget,
You haven't heard me sigh,
Or stifle a small cry,
You've seen me everyday,
Said you love me in every way.
But how can that even be,
If you still don't know me?

(second in a series of shorts for my kids)


Zen was a boy of nine years whose sister of fifteen beat him nightly.  When she would do this, it would be during bouts of sleepwalking that began when she too was nine.  Her name was Beam, and he loved her and she loved him when both were awake.  When both were awake, they would count the bruises on his body and see if their numbers were the highest they’d ever been.  Zen did not tell Beam she was his abuser and Beam promised to find out.  This presented a problem as Beam, no matter how hard she tried, could not stay awake long enough to catch the person she didn’t know she was.  Beam wanted to ask their parents to keep watch, but Zen would not let her, saying he was worried that if the person was identified he or she may start beating someone else.  So they counted bruises, and loved.  Zen is now a boy of fifteen and Beam went missing three years ago.  Every morning Zen looks over his spotless body and prays he too will be kidnapped by gentle aliens who cannot hurt their own but want to.

closing my eyes to forget I can see,
to smell with nose the special floral perfume of spring rose.
with closed eyes I can hear earth whispering to above
and the echoes from beyond.
with close eyes I can feel the drop of cold rain on my cheek
so I can make a subtle smile with my lips
with closed eyes I can feel the wind on my face
and the miracle of water spreading down my neck.
with closed eyes I can move freely
forgetting about life obstruction around me.
walking and feeling the sand between the toes
my eyes should stay forever closed.

You take a hold of the only strength I have left
Then rip it away to make me weak
Just like that
I fall back
                 d
                     o
                        w
                            n
       ­                        again, and again, and again