Hi All
About an hour ago I read the announcement my poem, "Mother", won the first poetry tournament for The Poetry Kingdom.
I am humbled and very thankful to everyone within The Poetry Kingdom who voted (voted for any poem and for any poet) during the tournament. It was a really fun multi-week event with many high-quality poems and outstanding poets involved.
And thank you to those who read my work and are part of the poetry community - and thank you to all others (friends, family, writers, artists, etc.) who have been supportive and have made this journey a lot of fun!
Mother
My mother cleans when she’s sad Our tables have no dust The windows have no streaks The carpet, step lightly, there must be no ware Tears gently run down her face For angelic bathtubs. No mildew. No stains
I scrub away my melancholy And sweep away my loneliness, like dust bunnies I’ve decided not to cry today I’m a lot like my mother But I’m lazy and messy and a disappointment
We – my family – we mostly keep to ourselves My father reads the newspaper My mother fumbles with the hobbies she despises I wear headphones like skin
My sister drowned 3 years ago Our backyard pool stole her breath The bubbles floated to the surface Until they didn’t My mother doesn’t look away anymore And we don’t talk about it
Through my open window I hear – Someone speaking then someone else laughing I remember smiling and thinking happy thoughts Some friends thought my jokes were funny
I shut my bedroom window Because that is the past
I do not laugh anymore
