We sat together in the Garda station.
It was cold, dimly lit at these hours.
The night came shortly after we arrived.
We were the only family sitting around.
On one bench was my mother and my sister,
On the other was my father and me.
None of us spoke, only noise was cars
Driving by and the occasional sigh of boredom.
After a while I asked what was happening,
My father told me nothing I should worry about
And I should just try to sleep until it’s over.
After a while, a cigarette or two was lit outside,
And I heard whispers that felt like arguments
And that it’s all for the better what’s to come.
Finally, the papers came out, so did a Garda
To watch both of my parents in silence.
They both signed, only the scratching of
The paper was heard in the background.
He sat down beside me, gave me a hug, and left.
After that, I only saw my father on the weekends.
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Author:
Emery Walker (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: July 29th, 2025 20:03
- Comment from author about the poem: This is just a like ‘prequel’ poem to my other one ‘The Exchange’. I like how it turned out, it describes the whole story how I remember it. Vague but still a lingering memory I have. I was around 6/7 when it happened, so I don’t really feel that much about it. I only found out when I was around 12 that it was custody papers, and that there was a whole long process that I never knew about.
- Category: Short story
- Views: 7
Offline)
Comments2
A touching write around the child in the middle of a divorce, and the lack of explanation and communication as to what was actually happening, nicely expressed and written
A sad poem. Nicely written it speaks about the difficulty of custody for parents and even more for children. Well written it feels stark and cold.
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