Elucidating Questions

She’s never coming back,

She left you so she’s never coming back,

He says as the words come back in whispers of memories buried away,

Like one would comment on the weather.

She left so she’s never coming back.

Said to a handful of children when their mother left without a trace.

Or so we thought, because he told us so.

Every plane was a murder machine, weapons of the government spraying down chemicals to kill or control

The government was watching

Controlling the weather.

Never went out, never left the house, the tiny neighbourhood and wanting so desperately to be free so

Midnight walks down the street to just feel free from it all

So afraid I ran as far as I could the night I stood up to him,

Took my last ticket and ran,

But I couldn’t get far and when I got there I was afraid to come knocking

Because all I had done was fail them and I wasn’t good enough to consider myself welcome,

Certainly not at midnight.

The police found me sitting, sitting in the shelter

But I was already 18, and I didn’t even know it.

Not really. That night I realised I was an adult,

Without anywhere to go.

I never knew anything about outside, except for the forest.

Where can I run when he won’t leave me alone?