Dear Mom #YOWO Scholarship Slam
Location
Dear Mom,
Hi.
Wow.
This is Hard.
Harder than I thought
So much harder
All day,
Every day,
My mind races.
Unfiltered
Unthwarted
I can’t make it stop.
As hard as I try
Make it stop.
Each night,
All night,
I lay awake.
Tormented
Imprisoned
By my own thoughts
Always
Always
About you Mom.
Like in a dream
You flash before me.
But it can’t be a dream
My eyes are open
But it can’t be reality
For you are gone.
Gone.
Ouch.
Dad misses you.
He’s really trying to stay strong
But I see it
The way he sighs
The way he shuffles about
It’s like he needs you
-Needed you
To lift his heavy feet.
I don’t see it,
But,
I hear it.
I hear it all the time.
The way he cries
It’s a powerful,
Angry,
Passionate,
Cry.
I pretend like I don’t hear.
Eyes
Swollen and red
We barely look at each other anymore.
Talking seems out of the question.
I saw your killer today.
I thought
I had thrown them all away.
Broken them
Crushed them
Spat on them
And thrown them all away,
But I found one last pack-
A pack of cigarettes-
In the cabinet today.
I threw them in the neighbor’s yard.
Sorry.
I’m so sorry Mom.
Only now
Do I realize
Everything
Everything I did wrong.
I missed so much.
I Miss so much.
Your laugh
Your frizzy hair
Your well-worn sweater
Your crooked glasses
Your hugs
Your hugs- I miss the most.
Your unconditional love
That too
I miss you Mom.
Today,
At your funeral
Ouch.
At your funeral
Everyone said that you’ll always be here.
In my heart
In my memories
In my heart
They say I won’t always be this sad.
But what do they know-
What do they know?
I miss you Mom
So much
I love you.
Sincerely,
Your daughter