Human Shield

She’s looking at him and he’s looking at her

And neither of them will speak to each other

Over dinner there is only silence and the

Quiet clinking of glasses and mushy chewing

The hope of conversation is trashed just like the

Two week old ground beef you found in the fridge

But if they would speak what would they say

Nothing new. The same insults, the same loud

Exclamations and expressions heard daily

That make your ears bleed with hatred

Hating your parents isn’t anything new

But it seems like their arguments have gone on

For centuries, and you’ve only been alive for

--teen years. --teen years full of the same words

Hate stupid gone left mad angry I Told You So

And you wish and hope with all your blood

That one day it would stop. You used to lie in

Your bed daydreaming about bursting in with

Your innocence and announcing that you would

Call the police! But what good would that do

Okay okay what about holing up in your

Purple carpeted closet for a while? That

Would make them worried about you.

You tried that though, and boy, that did

Nothing their words still bounced off each other

Nowadays you reminisce about those days when

It wasn’t so bad. Or maybe your hearing just got

Better over the years from straining to hear

Every last poison words spat from snake mouths

From up the stairs, behind the door, around a corner

You have learned to deflect it - it bounces off you

In the kitchen when they are fuming behind your back

If you stand in between them it is it though you are

A mirror! they are exactly alike. You can’t wait to be not

Like them. And yet you wait with dread draining your heart

Because anger is probably genetic and any hope of you

Loving someone wholly and purely was tossed into the

Trash along with the 2 week old ground beef.

This poem is about: 
My family

Comments

Additional Resources

Get AI Feedback on your poem

Interested in feedback on your poem? Try our AI Feedback tool.
 

 

If You Need Support

If you ever need help or support, we trust CrisisTextline.org for people dealing with depression. Text HOME to 741741