Dear Mommy,

Where were you when I was seven?

I had fallen and scraped my knee

I was bleeding--

Calling out your name

But you weren’t there

Instead you were sitting with a needle in your arm

Trying to reach a high--

That you could never achieve

Maybe it’s the shine of the needle--

And I’m just dull and forgotten

Flash forward

Now I am eighteen

I hurt

Calling your name no longer crosses my mind

You are now a distant sea--

One that I never wish to visit

Struggles wash over me--

But you’re the biggest wave

Still sitting with the needle in your arm

Mommy, when do I get to shine?