The little boy’s toy
green dinosaur
on the floor with its
jaws open wide
in a frozen roar,
in his sister’s bedroom,
sparkly cat ear headphones
on a purple pillow,
her ballet slippers
hanging on the door,
Her older brother’s
game console
still on waiting for
him to click to
his new solo battle,
on the kitchen counter is mom’s nurse badge,
car keys and purse,
mask and tissues are
protruding out,
in the laundry room,
a tug rope on the floor,
the full bowl of kibble,
a wooden gate to keep
the dog from jumping,
an unlocked case
sitting on a chair,
an empty torn box
of ammo rounds,
a smoking gun,
one fearful night in
a family’s home,
where children played,
the dog ate,
a mother called home,
are silenced,
no one should
be lost in isolation.
My non-fiction stories, essays and columns have appeared in several magazines; weekly and daily newspapers in Ohio as well as the Chicago Tribune. I am also a graduate student at Kent State University in Ohio.
Image via Pixabay
The Cabinet of Heed 