Blinding. Yeah. by Elisabeth Horan

​Blinding. Yeah.

You mention lost kids
And I think of Ferlinghetti

The beautiful gravel in the driveway.
How do we find, and if we do find...
How do we heal

The children, who've honestly
Held us up, in our sickly
Adult ways...

Should we put them in rehab or
Juvenile delinquent group homes...
Shall we commit them???

Tell them they are too broken
To be fixed properly, to be returned
To society. I've seen fear---

In a child's eyes. They are human beings,
Yet they are only halfway there,
To comprehend the evil and beauty

Of this world. We are by nature
Lazy creatures. Adults. We are tired.
And can't be asked to fix it all

Especially in one instance. We too, were
Hurt. Beat abandoned raped and plain old
Bullied. And supposed to go on?

I've seen this stare.
It's a Vacancy
Guarded.

Their eyes.
Your eyes.
My eyes.

Let's just remember the gravel, the
shining
Miraculous
gravel,

We can agree
It feels the same

To my feet.
To their feet.
To your feet.

​

Elisabeth Horan is an imperfect creature from Vermont advocating for animals, children and those suffering alone and in pain - especially those ostracized by disability and mental illness. She is Editor in Chief at Animal Heart Press, and Co-Editor at Ice Floe Press. She has several chaps and collections out at Bone & Ink Press, Fly on the Wall Press, Twist It Press, Rhythm and Bones Press, Cephalo Press, and Animal Heart Press. Her newest collections: Just to the Right of the Stove, with Hedgehog Poetry Press, and Alcoholic Betty, with Fly on the Wall Poetry Press are forthcoming in 2020. She is a poetry mentor to many up and coming brilliant poets, and proud momma to Peter and Thomas. She recently earned her MA from SNHU, and her MFA from Lindenwood University. She is a 2018 Pushcart Nominee and a 2018 and 2019 Best of Net Nominee. Follow her @ehoranpoet  & ehoranpoet.com

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