I Love, I like, I hate you
Laughter and smiles
Sifting through the aisles
Big hands
enfold
little hands
I love you

Home.
We start mixing
stirring
cooking.
Smells are wafting

through the rooms,
the halls.
I love you.

You tuck me in.
You say you love me
You shut the door and you walk away
I love you.

I shut my eyes.
But I hear the yells.
Bursting at the seams,
my eyes open. I shut them,
and hold them tightly....
I try not to hear, not to listen

Gosh...I wish I was deaf...

But I hear, I listen to every word.
Every curse.
I....I like you....

Tears well up and over my eyes.
I swallow the rock in my throat.
Stay strong.

Whatever happened?
Whatever did I do?
To make you fight...
To make you shut down...
To make you stop loving us....
Just hours ago...
you walked out
of my bedroom.
When you did that...
you walked out of my life
You never came back.

Dad....I hate you