Dec 28, 2019
sickle symptom cry
sleep so deep that real life and dreams intertwine
as I come to, piercing cries of age 5 fill the halls
no words, just tears, and pain
as the cries grow louder
my father’s footsteps ascend the stairs
the bathroom cabinet unclicks and clicks again
age 5 gulps and the cries subside
silence
as my eyes drift shut once more
sun rises, a cheerful age 5 is as good as new
as if the pains of the night never occurred
if only you knew about the nighttime cries
that are part of many melanin lives