one summer in a red glass bottle, there was a letter
it told a story
of how life had turned upside down.
the parents weren't speaking
the dad slept on the couch
and the sister was always out with boys.
the brother was hateful
and pushed him down the stairs
and teased
and shouted at the mother.
there were lots of tears.
things couldn't be worse.

one morning on an old, orange piece of paper, there was a note.
it told of times that were harder than before.
the dad had moved away
with his new wife
who smelled of darkness
and despair.
the sister never went anywhere,
and instead listened to old, sad music
up in the attic.
the brother no longer shouted
or teased.
the mother paid no attention
to the outside world.
the mother spent time with different men,
different alcohols,
and different drugs.
and things had gotten worse.

one afternoon on the green grass, there was a letter.
it told of happy things,
like sunshine,
rainbows,
and warm days.
the house was not like those things.
the mother moved out as well.
the brother made food once a day.
the sister came out more,
but only for dinner.
tears were limited;
if one began,
no one would stop.
the father stopped sending money.
the mother never visited.
things were at an all time low.

one night on a brown table, there lay a note.
scribbled on,
with words crossed out.
it told the feelings of a child.
it told of sadness, emptiness, loneliness.
the mother discovered this note
at her kitchen counter
that she shared with her new husband and their three kids.
the mother called the father.
the father left immediately.
the parents rushed to the old,
run down house.
the boy was there.
not yet dead,
but surely not alive.

the mother left with a piece of her gone.
she felt aching she had never felt before.
the sister didn't know,
and anyways
she was on too many drugs to care.
the brother regretted
ever pushing him down the stairs
and teasing him
and yelling.
the father stayed,
and he cried.
he cried for his son
he cried for his broken family
but most of all,
he cried
because he knew,
it was all his fault.