Something’s There

There's a crack in the floor.

Daddy said,

"Just ignore it."

But instead I watched it grow,

Spidering it's way

Toward my bed.

It frightened me

Like the men with bad teeth

Lurking in the shadows,

Asking to touch

My legs.

I kept my distance.

I walked around it.

There's a hole in the floor.

Mama said,

"Pray about it."

So I crossed myself and

asked God,

How deep does the

Darkness go?

Would anybody save me?

I hung my foot over the void

And lost my shoe.

There was no sound of contact.

There was no answer.

There's a cavern in the floor.

Auntie said,

"Look around it

At all the shiny,

Unbroken things.

You have a roof over your head

And what a pretty head it is.

You are goddamn blessed, child."

So I looked around,

But all I could see

Was what was missing:

My swallowed flower crown,

The snuffed out night light,

My disappearing roller skates

and bicycle.

All the neighborhood children.

My baby teeth.

It took my dog today.

I didn't notice

Until I felt the foot of the bed

Cold, unrumpled.

It claimed my tears

So all I could do was whisper

Eyes dry,

"Come and get me."

2/30

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