A whisper the size of a pea
The tone of a piano key
So quiet so abrupt
Like a stop sign he sees at the last second
Remember when, remember when he cried
When she cried and they cried and everyone cried
As the whisper reaches the next person
More and more tears fall
They escape silently and they fall quickly with heaviness
That same stop sign, which you almost missed – he thinks –
The same stupid stop sign
Please promise that everything will be okay
Remind him red draws blood, red signs red blood
Red ride in his red car and the red stop sign
And the red blood from his little boy
He hates the color red he hates it
He hates it he hates this

No matter how fast he goes
It’s not going to take the pain away
Pain promises that memories are forever
Pain
Did he feel pain
Did he feel his bones crush, crunch under the car
Does he hear, does he hear his father as he screams his name
As he screams his lungs of love
Does his son hear him
Does he know he will never forget
Someday, someday
Never will he forget, but someday,
He will forgive