It’s morning

Early morning; seven o’clock at best

Don’t need no alarm clock today

I can hear the sound of my father’s voice

Vibrating

Drilling a hole in my chest

We’re no cookie cutter family

But we’re certainly living in a gingerbread house

The icing is barely holding us together now

I’m scared for when the icing melts

Tears apart this house

My father’s voice is loud

An animal crying out to be freed

But it’s so early dad

What is it that you need?

Every time the wind blows

I am sure we will break

I hear the sounds of your footsteps down the stairs

Why are you awake?

You’re a firecracker Dad

You’re waiting to explode

You can be so beautiful

But you’re dangerous

Get too close

It’ll be you who explodes

And now I’m scared

I’m so scared Dad

I’m scared of the broken crumbs

The melted icing

The collapsed house

The mess that comes from

A pile of gingerbread cookies

That once held a gingerbread house.