enjoy your childhood, little girl
enjoy romping in the garden
and playing with your stuffed animals
and blowing bubbles
and endless smiles,
because they all dry up quickly.
they all dried up when her grandmother died.
there’s something about watching someone destroy herself
that destroys your childhood like nothing else could.
but chin up, little girl, you’re doing fine.
maybe one day you can paint on a smile like the little drummer boy
and you’ll pound rup pum pum pum on your drum and you’ll be fine.
and maybe one day you can smile again
but not today.
YOU ARE READING
about her.
Poetryand so I will take you through the years of her existence as she contemplates how long it was supposed to be.