30. Chapter 30

if I could tell you then

what we know

when mom finally sinks

six feet below

leaving you

a victim

of her vices

when safety

sounds like love

and liquor

tastes like laughter

sometimes it takes years

for seasons to change

and when they do

I’d tell you

not to shake

when she thinks you’re a sin

I swear

it’s not your fault

she’ll be too scared

to let you in

but when you

fly too far

and don’t land right

take too long

and put up a fight

I promise you

it’ll be okay

because one day

when we hear her velvet voice

in the sea

of scorching smiles

we’ll finally know

how it feels

to come home