I wish my parents wouldn’t fight –
I feel like a cat curled up in a corner
With no one noticing it.
They act like robots out of control,
Moving clumsily, crashing gears,
Not like parents at all.
They sound like horrid black crows –
It would be ridiculous
If it wasn’t so serious.
When it’s a really bad fight
I feel bloodless and cold
Like a victim of Dracula.
When my parents fight
I'm really scared,
Because I think
They will divorce
Or separate
And leave me.
When I argue with my sister
it’s usually because
she cheats at cards,
But when my parents quarrel
It’s like unravelling
A ball of messed-up string-
Hard to find the start.
I think of words to help,
But they get tangled in my throat
And don’t come out.
I’d like to be a bear for a while,
And crawl into a hole
or hibernate for good,
Or run away
But usually I end up
Going to bed in my clothes
And lying awake instead.
They might not separate,
But I can’t be sure, can I?
Earthquakes happen now and then,
It’s the possibility I don’t like
As if something bad is tailing me
Or a sign was on my back
Saying
“My Parents Fight”
And everyone is staring.