dad,
i can never forget the vein on your forehead as you screamed and yelled,
the house shook as doors were slammed.
my childhood was made up of sounds of your car starting and your sighing as you told me to never end up like mom.

mom,
oh how you broke this all apart only to glue it together,
only to rip it apart again.
i can't get the sound of your crying out of my head,
it's always here,
it's mended into my head.
mom, i'm sorry.
you tried over and over again.
sometimes i'll smell the perfume you gave me that smells like you,
i never want to let you go.