“stop”
“stop, Mom”
“stop!”
“stop it! ow! let me go! you’re hurting me!”

She dug her fingers into my skull
harder
deeper, deeper
half smiling, half grimacing all the while
– i think that makes a smirk
She shrieked my name ‘til I couldn’t understand its meaning
until i couldn’t hear it
and it was black

She held me by my neck
pinned me ‘gainst the wall
i couldn’t breathe
couldn’t breathe
couldn’t

breathe

and it was black

She dragged me from my bed
pulled the book from my hands
threw it ‘cross the room – crumpled the pages
then did the same with my face – smashed it on the wall
i was just reading
I was just reading

I am always just reading