me and my brother never quite got along,
behind doors, shut, never slammed.
only 10 feet apart but the hallway’s a void.
my dad tells me he doesn’t like himself and adds a but to every apology.
works himself to ashes and they spark in the house.
my mom cries because she thinks she’s a bad mother and she’s alone in these rooms.
she talks because she’s terrified of echos.
i didn’t want any of this,
i just wanted to feel safe and accepted,
but a house isn’t always a home.
a part of me still holds on to the person they want me to be,
but it’s rotting off its seams and i’m coming undone.