i remember the heavy smell of rum on my father’s breath

i remember his clenched jaw

i remember his eyes filled with hate

i remember the emptiness in mine

i remember wanting to escape

i remember blasting music to drown out my parent’s yelling

i remember how my eyes stung from crying

i remember being alone

i remember not wanting to feel anything,
to just be numb

i remember walking around aimlessly around my block
to avoid going into the hell i call my home

i remember the way i dragged my feet

i remember wanting to disappear

i remember feeling so lost

i remember having no one beside me

But most of all, i remember wanting to forget