when i was 11 yrs old
i went into a monsters cave
and lost all sense of time


-i've been 11 since-
riding home on my bike in


s l o w m o t i o n
wiping fervently at my sneakers that are cake in



dirt and blood
So my mama wouldn't be mad



scream
so loud
that she would suck away my voice

drown
it

out
with angry words
but angrier hands

that make me scream my throat
bloody red
the taste of my tears sliding down like


sandpaper

when i was 11 yrs old
i went into a monsters cave
in my head my screams shattered glass
while my lips stay frozen


( i did not fight)
paralyzed, i lied down and died
let the monster rip me




a




p




a




r




t
leaving no trace of my
for my family to mourn