Untitled
By: Samantha Jaque-Anton
Mom’s outline was stark in the doorway,
She waved her finger in little circles,
Pointing at me.
“I’ve seen that look before,”
Her voice almost sounded mocking,
“Just don’t let it consume you.”
Confused I sat in a puddle of sheets,
My body donning another girl’s shirt,
Red plaid patterns across my arms marking an x.
Before I even had a chance to hear her words,
It was already there,
Intertwining with every nerve in my body.
All I could think of was how she had held me,
The thick scent surrounding me in thick cotton,
It made me feel relaxed.
Sometimes I could smell her in other places too,
Under my nails and the palms of my hands,
Even in the seams of my pillowcase.
As I cried into those soft damning sheets,
I understand what she was trying to say.
The tears fell faster as I worried,
Is that why I felt this deepness in my chest?
Unsure of anything I buried my face into my sleeves.
In again came that aroma,
Like home spilled out and dried up and set in the sun,
My muscles loosened up as I closed my eyes tight.
Maybe being consumed by love is not so bad after all...