
and her mother isn’t wielding a knife
her mother wouldn’t even consider shoving her daughter
into a closet
there is no babbling about sin
in Carrie’s mother’s home
Carrie comes home
and her mother doesn’t ask any questions
about the blood
her mother tells her it’ll be alright
that she’ll love her no matter what
that maybe they can run away somewhere new
and warm
or maybe
Carrie comes home
and her mother isn’t there
there has never even been a mother
so there is no blood to ignore or wash out
there is no closet
the stones stay put
the pigs wallow
Carrie makes a sandwich
turns on the tv
sleeps dreamlessly
Kimberly Wolf is a poet and parent living in Texas. She can often be found dreaming of a mountain. You can find more of her work at www.kimberlywolfpoet.com.