Page 28 of The Secret to Belonging

you asshole. i’m not surprised you stole from me

but you couldn’t even wait until my plane took off?

your tears make you even madder. you smear them away

i hope whatever high you got pawning my albums

was worth it because i will never forgive you

and it isn’t just the albums

you pawned our whole family

our family’s happiness. our family’s hope

you snorted and injected and smoked away

Mom and Dad’s ability to think about

or love or see anyone but you

you stole our parents

you stole my childhood

the car horn interrupts your rage

i hope you drop dead

back upstairs you lift and push your mattress

up against the wall

gather the rest of the albums and spread them

across the box spring in layers

the horn outside sounds as angry as you feel

you lower the mattress

arrange the bedspread and pillows on top

one advantage of life in chaos

is your family never has houseguests

no one will sleep in this bed again

until you come back

if you ever do

approaching the airport

your mother points to the Passenger Drop-Off

your dad wants to park and go in but