cardboard pirate ships
sailin thru sprinkler mist
popsicle red fingerprints on the wheel
paper towel tube telescope
with a blue eye peerin thru
backyard turned ocean
waitin to be conquered
tin foil helmet catchin sunlight
swing set rockets rattlin loose bolts
shoelace comets trails
chalk treasure maps
bleedin into the driveway
sticks sharpened into swords
monsters crouchin behind bushes
imaginary growls and teeth
muddy kneed king
ruler of grass stained empires
a laugh that shakes the sky
a body built for flight
a heart stupid with wonder
believin magic can be held
in the palm of small hands
if you only ask for it
but memory always corrects the fairy tale
where monsters never hid in bushes
he sat across the kitchen table
a man who broke things smaller than him
and called it parentin
lessons taught in bruises
don’t cry
don’t speak
don’t be
followed by
yes sirs
I’m fines
and don’t hit mes
treasure map exit routes
etched behind eyes
the same eyes as his
same ice cold blue
that always knew where to look
when fear tried to hide
no swords
just fists
that never missed
no kingdoms
just hidin
in plain sight
waitin for it to end
no dreams of adventures
just nightmares
shaped like his hands
rippin me from my bed
in the middle of the night
so when they asked
what I wanted to be
when I grew up
invisible
invisible was the only thing
that ever made any sense
I enjoy your writing style and I can unfortunately relate to this poem.
thank you. I’m sorry that you relate.
Powerfully penned, 253. Amazing write my friend. Appreciate you.
Damian
thank you
hello dearest poet this write deeply shook me I was happiest in the neighborhood too thankfully my dad wasn’t home a lot and when he was coming home we hid praying we weren’t called from our hiding spots if he was angry we were easy targets and like you I wish to be invisible to the monsters in my day to day…here I can play superwoman…hugs ❤️
appreciate you.