Credit: belleofthelibrary.com
Her toes tickled the sand
Her face baked in the August sun
Her ears deafened by the roar of the ocean
Her sunglasses shielded her eyes from the surf’s glare
as she tried to ignore the deep, grinding hollowed out hunger in her gut
She could not conjure up her family’s next meal
No magic wand of money would be appearing any time soon
The stash in the basement was null and void
The fridge a wide open expanse of empty
And what else would be waiting at home?
Just the cause of the family’s famine in the first place
The one who dared touch the last remnants of fruit left for his children
Whose anger ignited at being denied those rock bottom bits
She rested in the stillness with her dull endless ache
Becoming more numb by the minute
The tide washing her pain away
“It’s something we’d all gotten used to, that hollowness in the veins, the nagging feeling there was always just a bit too much air behind your ribs.”
~Andre’ Dubus III (from his memoir “Townie”)
Building A Life Of Hope 
Oh man I somehow missed this earlier in the week. This is a incredibly sad situation; such despair is felt here. I like the ocean usage it is cleansing and heals, or numbs all things.
Thank you Kelly. The story is true. It has taken a decade to put the words to it. An earlier poem Witness (which you liked) served as the springboard for the situation.
I’ve been afraid to write about it since it brings up such bad memories. But I am relieved that I could finally do it in a way that explains it without the dirty details!
Good for you! I think it’s healing to get the negative energies out into the open. Words serve as a soothing balm to your soul, and you never know who your words will touch… may they comfort others within the fight. 🙂
Exactly. That has been my intention when I began this blog. I am having a blast and helping others at the same time.:)