Take Your Daughter to Work Day

She kneels in the garden

and yanks up the weeds

one, by one, by one, by one

she stands up to wipe

the sweat from her face in

the sun, hot sun, no fun, can’t run

she smiles at the plants,

proud of the way

they grow, they grow, and grow, and grow

in the wheelbarrow she reaches

for the compost she'll spread on

her seeds, she sows, to grow, to grow

but she's not very careful

and the fertilizer drips down

her knee, her knee, and now can't you see

the mushrooms that sprout

that grow as tall as the

trees, tall trees, a tree on Colleen

"well, for how much that cost,

At least it works well"

and so quick, how quick! Too quick? Quite quick

so she tromps out of the garden

and tightropes the lollipop

stick. White stick? I hope there's no spit.

She reaches the candy

Crystal sugar in the light

that glows, that gleams, grape-flavored pristine

it alights on the pop

and roars its head back

Colleen, Colleen, what do you see?

The size of two cars

the butterfly stomps on

the ground, the ground, POUND, POUND

she first tries to pet

but withdraws her hand, choosing to

bow, she bows, he bows, they bow

"to reward your respect

on me you may climb and

we'll fly, so high, so high, so high"

so she grabs the antenna

the seat belt she fastens

to rise, so high, Colleen in the sky

above pink plastic legs

lawn flamingos beak-first in

the dirt, the dirt, the dirt will not hurt

through the sliding glass maw

so now the garden they will

desert, desert, desert, desert

they fly ‘round the corner

she sees the plush mountains

snow white, so white, carpeted delight

cheery blocks and scattered dolls

a peril for those not aloft

so nice, the sight, of toys, the sight

at the top of the stairs

a lavender room with rugs

green, like grass, green grass, soft grass

but she collides with a thought

her steed falls the wings shatter

like glass, stained glass, big crash, en masse

twisted metal, bloody glass

outsider Colleen views

the scene, the scene, a dream? That scene

the police arrived first

but the first one they called was

Colleen, Colleen, they called Colleen

she runs out of the cab

her man beneath white sheets

pale, still, is there any breath there?

She sees them extract

the other small form

broken and cold, there’s no breath there.

Colleen does not want to see

she just wants to do

what she wills, happy, is what she wills

she turns her back on the screen

and with joy she gulps down one

more pill, a pill, more pills, need pills

color returns to the lavender room

the rocking horse whinnies in approval

and Colleen, is free, to buzz with the bees

but the ceiling pulses in red rage

footsteps up the stairs

"Colleen, Colleen, where can you be?"

She falls in the dust

a hand grabs her arm, and she

rebels, resists, writhes, rebels

but the arms grip her tight

her forehead kissed soft as her anger

is quelled, she will, no longer feel hell

the bottle goes in Todd’s coat

he’ll bring the pills once more to the

the trash, the trash, the trash, the trash

"Colleen, once again here I

catch you and once again I must

ask, I ask, I really must ask:

why do you leave me?

Each time I fear you will never

come back, come back, Colleen, come back

I promised I loved you

and I'd make sure that you’re never

alone, alone, alone, alone

but when you take these pills

I can't trust you to go to

her stone, her stone, our baby’s gravestone.

So take my hand not those pills

and you can be strong

with me, with me, Colleen, Colleen."

She says not a word

But stands up to see

A house that is empty, save, for she

the nursery she scans

and grabbing a broom

Todd's voice in her ear faded

as she sweeps up the ashes

she laughs to herself, “why

did I have them cremated?"

Reviews

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i really liked this :) definitely creepy and great twist at the end. keep it up