Grace's apartment was small
but it wasn't much smaller
than the one I was living in,
not that it even mattered.
I showered
and changed into
the pair of sweat shorts
and the large t-shirt
that Grace gave to me.
I found myself
curled up on her couch
after I was finished changing
while Grace made
another cup of coffee
for me.
She said
her parents
were working
because they started work
really early in the morning,
and that she always missed them,
because she got home
from her late shift
after they left.
Grace was Daiha's age,
she told me,
and I think
she was just telling me this
so that I would trust her
so that I would be distracted
from what was wrong with my life
what was wrong with me.
I didn't mind
hearing someone else talk
about someone
other than Daiha
hearing someone,
something,
other than my own thoughts
for weeks on end.
I liked listening to her.
She was really sweet
and I think she understood
what it felt like
to have parents
that were never there.
I knew it was completely different
for Grace
because her parents
weren't doing so well
in the money department
and she was trying to pay
for college
which was why
she rarely saw her parents.
It wasn't because they didn't care
but because they did care
that they were gone all the time.
It wasn't the same
not at all
but she could maybe understand
YOU ARE READING
Breathe
Poetry-Sequel to Smile- The devastation of hurricane Jordan has left Delilah Smith in a tailspin. Her sister, Daiha, is in a coma, and doctors aren't sure if she's even going to wake up. When her parents aren't working they're spending all of their time a...
