By: Julie Loomis

Word on the Street Issue 44, June 2024

. . .

My son is joy,

bright bursting energy. 

He looks at me, 

this is the best day it can be.

He smiles,  ask for a hug,

Mom, I love you, 

thanks for everything you do.

My son is angry, 

he doesn’t understand why. 

I am not listening? 

Impatiently he explodes and whines.

I tell him no.

He starts to scream.

He is out of control. 

I eventually get through.

My son is sad,his life is crushed,

he cries about what he could have had; 

heart wrenching sobs of remorse.

My son feels wrong. 

He tells me to take away everything, 

he doesn’t belong.

He cries; I don’t deserve to be happy.

Sometimes even to live.

He lies on his bed in a ball. 

He has no more tears to give. 

My son wants a hug.

He tells me he is sorry,

his eyes ask;forgive me let it be.

Mom, I love you.

Brandon doesn’t understand why,

he has all these emotions inside. 

Most times hardly remembers. 

Sometimes wants to hide.

Brandon’s like a summer’s day. 

Sunny and warm, 

then suddenly comes a cloud.

A drenching rain storm.

Then it slowly stops. 

The clouds drift away,

out comes the rainbow.

The sun’s rays only delayed.