Doomed to repeat it
by Sarah Bigham
When the bottom
Falls away
And I can only focus on
The things that crashed
I think of the neighbor’s
Unexpected newborn rabbits
Too tiny to be contained by
Wire mesh
Who froze on the ground
Before morning
Did the mother scream?
And the keening of
My littlest sister
When I announced
I was
Running away
I thought she
Would laugh
As I opened the fence
But instead she
Flushed and bubbled
Screaming
Or my tiny brother
In superhero shorts
Who happily rode his trike
Around and around
Wheeling over an unseen
Earthen nest
Where wasps launched
An attack on his
Small body
Welts rose and
Screams filled the air
Sarah Bigham teaches, writes, and paints in Maryland where she lives with her kind chemist wife, three independent cats, an unwieldy herb garden, several chronic pain conditions, and near-constant outrage at the general state of the world tempered with love for those doing their best to make a difference. A Pushcart and Best of the Net nominee, Sarah’s poetry, fiction, and nonfiction have appeared in a variety of great places for readers, writers, and listeners. Find her at www.sgbigham.com.
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