with teenage parents in the Northeast’s winter teeth a child dressed in bruises neglect’s sweat soaking sheets
mother’s resenting eyes father’s fumbling hands petal fallen to storm - cast out to barren lands
exhaust emaciated frame cement bed of recess yard fall lapsing into coma white wake to fifth grade cards they put a price tag on my vial of life my breath is profit, not a basic human right all of the days spent monitoring in fear… I live for my brother and the people I hold dear needle pointing compass navigating veins all paths plagued in sugar dizzy missing frames
death hides in my shadow tugging swollen feet Christmas skin - jab it in mother’s sending sweets survival assembly line patient demoralized in care tied up and strangled by the red ticker tape of our health fare they put a price tag on my vial of life my breath is profit, not a basic human right all of the days spent monitoring in fear I live for my brother and the people I hold dear…