Abstract
My boss slowly hands me a Veteran chart.
“He died in an apparent suicide.”
Years of my life are displayed before me.
I see a young boy shivering with a fever.
“Hold him close to your chest”
A mattress, a dark home, and sealed windows
I pull my brother close,
As close as a twelve year old girl can pull.
Wailing sirens fill the streets,
Afraid to cry, I sing a lullaby.
I tell him about how he won the swing competition,
And reached a ceiling of grapevines.
I tell him about a world of love, laughter, and hope,
Dipping biscuits in a glass of tea.
And chasing each other in a wide open field of corn.
Dust fill the space of his home.
Unopened letters, Untouched presents -
Childhood pictures.
Students' papers, Graded in red ink -
Scattered on the floor.
Ropes under mattress, Chair under chandelier -
Wide open window.
A handwritten note on the kitchen counter.
“Verdict: Death Sentence”
A few grapes on a plate
A half empty glass of tea
A couple biscuits on the side.
I come back to now, I reach out -
I pull the chart as close as a grown woman can pull.
“Did he have a sister?”