Unbreakable Glass (Free Verse Poetry)
Water drips down the glass. This glass is unshatterable, unbreakable.
Much like Papa.
Not like Mama.
I don’t know about myself.
I don’t know myself.
A glance at my reflection. I have the eyebags of an old man.
I can see the wrinkles.
Wrinkles on an eight year old.
The face morphs into a frown. I close my eyes.
I open my eyes. I hate being in the dark.
The dark was where Papa put me in when I was bad.
The dark was what enveloped me when I was on the streets.
The dark was where I should have stayed.
The dark was where I was brought out of.
I hate the light.
They shouldn’t have caught me.
I shouldn’t have walked out the door.
But I was so angry.
But I’m glad they caught me.
I’m glad it was the scary people who caught me
And not Papa.
Papa is scarier.
There was just talking. Nothing but talking.
I thought of Papa, then I didn’t.
I thought of Mama, then I cried.
I want Mama.
Mama should be away from Papa.
Even if Mama is mean too.
There were papers.
I don’t know what the papers were.
But I signed it anyway.
I wish I didn’t.
The papers brought me to this big metal bird.
Goodbye Indonesia.
Hello America.
I feel a tap. I jolt.
No one should touch me.
Someone leads me out.
I want to cry but nothing comes.
Where is home?
Two people in front of me.
One tall man, a shorter woman.
They look nothing like Papa or Mama.
Papa was shorter, yet scarier. Mama couldn’t talk.
This woman could.
I hear my name.
How do they know my name
Why do they know my name
They look at me
I’m meat hung out to dry in the air
I close my eyes. The dark is better
than this.
The woman wraps me
In her arms
I tense up but
She’s warm
Smells like jackfruit
nice smell.
I see light
for the first time.
The light would help me.
The light would save me.
The light was what I was they were giving me,
I hate the dark.
Not like Papa.
Not like Mama.
I don’t know about myself.
I don’t know myself.
Water drips down my face.
The broken glass shattered and the light flooded in.
Comments
Post a Comment