Houdini books
Fruit brandy brewing in my closet
Why not in their closet?
Floor heater grate
branding my little brother’s feet
Mirrors in the hall and bathroom
too high up to see me
Mirror in my room,
stay away
Sewing classes
Cheerleaders blaspheming
and primping
Science class
Dissection days, dissociated
permitted to leave
Singing class
Loved the chance to let go
envelope of safety
Chain smoking dad
Sinus infection child
No care
Tourette’s living over
The back fence
Danger alley
Lantana flowers
Rainbow colors red, yellow, and orange
Grounding, soothing
Art from school
Never on the fridge
Disconnected
Sewing table
In my room, awkward tiny
Uncomfortable, crowded
Field trips
To the aquarium store
Wonder and hope
Saddle shoes, really ugly
in brown and white
No choice
Older brother bandaged head to toe
Not hurt by dad, how would I know?
Car accident and surgery
Drying apricots each summer
bounty to enjoy
predictable, delicious
Rosemary bush, buzzing bees
Spaghetti sauce aromatics
Grounding, satiating
Brother’s punching bag
in the back garage
unsafe, terror
Sounds from recluse women’s house
Human stretched on a rack? Terrifying, repetitive
Was dogs howling.
Wizard of Oz each year on TV
Wicked Witch too close to family
Terrorizing, yearly
Lena L