Twice
my mother
hit me
though she claims she never did
Once
across the face
for perceived
sass
the shock
stung
more than the slap
Again
on the ass
five times
in front of the fridge
for asking for a glass of milk
from a stranger
why would a five year old
follow fifteen year olds
oh they said I was old enough
to walk home
from school
This tiny yet tall girl
soon found herself
tired
and
thirsty
alone
(the teens vanishing into their own airs)
So I wandered
into a strange house
a woman in the kitchen
smiling
when I asked for a glass of milk
I do not remember
how I got home
or the kind woman's name
just my mother's arm
wrapped around my shoulders
her palm making purchase
on my pants
the refrigerator humming
only witness
to the crime
November Poetry Project
13 of 30
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