Sitting in an empty room
The only light is the flickering
of cartoons
The volume is high
But that’s not what we’re listening to

Also the sound of the melancholy tune
Of crashing cages and slamming leash
Screaming and bleeding alike
Stretching the boundaries beyond the backyard
Electrified nerves burning my senses

Blankets aren’t sufficient barricades
But we’ll use them
Till the war is done

One of three, my sister yells
“STOP!”
But monsters have bulletproof ears

Here’s the place where lamps aren’t safe
Feeding glass to the carpet below
Holes in the walls tally every war
Broken teeth affecting her ravenous smile

Here is where dad always wins
Rage is a man’s best friend