Mother, I did the dishes:
Until my hands reeked of nothing but soap and regret.
As if those shining plates
could guarantee your forgiveness
for every test i took and failed,
ones that i lost to helplessness of my young age.
Your voice crashed with the door of your room
opening and closing for 16-
Accusing voices of you and father
fighting a war older than me
yet, no flag waved in sight for twenty-five years.
dressed him as your husband
fed him forgiveness and love,
gulping his lies down your throat
All that, just for the show.
But he was just infidelity in person
Mother, I needed someone to fight for me,
choosing a monster over me,
the one, only you couldn't see.
perhaps that is what adults are supposed to do.