I submitted this to a poetry contest and they publish a book, which they are putting my poem in. You can buy the book here.
Cause of death
Blood loss from a
Self-inflicted gunshot wound
No. It’s not that simple
Cause of death
A brand new box of crayons when I was 5
That I broke into pieces to share
And you grounded me for
And then never let me live down
They still colored just as well
And my friends all got to use them too
Cause of death
A fist to the face
A jaw that hurt for months after
That you failed to notice or acknowledge
And later denied had ever happened
‘Your father loves you!’
Cause of death
Proclaiming ‘I love you’ and ‘I care about you’
So often and so loud
That you never heard me screaming
Cause of death
Telling me ‘don’t get blood on the carpet’
When the blood was pouring from my wrist
My pain was worth less than a $5 rag rug
Cause of death
Breaking the promises that mattered
Then expecting gratitude
For keeping the ones that didn’t
Cause of death
Life &
My mother