My father hid himself
within the smoke
underneath my ribcage

Sometimes he rattles his fingers
underneath my bones
and squirms his hands
around my ticker

He taught the monster under my bed
to crawl under my skin
and stick his filthy fingers
in the cracks of my brain
and break it in half

His name echoes the canals of my ears
and his shadow haunts every step
I wish I could’ve made