FreezeRay:  Poetry With A Pop
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A. Tony Jerome

From: Sam after The Babadook and Carrie after the Blood 
To: Their Mothers

Mum, when you are angry Mama, when I am angry 
                           everything terrifies
                           and I don't know how to get
your                                              my
                           monster out
do you                                          do I
                           even want to?
Can you hear me?                      Are you listening? 
Everyone says                             Everyone knows
                            I don't belong
                            But you should've 
                            been different.
You know you scare me and I know I scare you  too.
But I didn't                                  But I did 
                            mean it.
                            Did you?
It's an excuse I can make          It's a truth I can confess 
                             because I love you.
                             I know what's in you 
                             won't always let you 
                             love me back
and that's okay                           and that's not okay 
                             I will fight
your demons for you                 alongside your demons 
                             until you can love me right
                             if ever.
Don't cry:                                      Don't die
There's enough time                  You're all I have left. 
to catch our breath.

The monster is in the                 "and without blood there is no 
basement and that's where       forgiveness of sins." Hebrews 9:22 
he'll stay.                                       See?
                                                        I didn't forget
We got out this time                   We're forgiven, Mama.
                                                       We're forgiven but
 Promise we won't go back?
                                                       it shouldn't have been like this. 
                                                       Never like this.
Mrs. Roach says there shouldn't 
be so much death in the living.
                                                       We're not going back, right?

Don't go back down there.
.....Mum?                                        I'm so sorry, Mama.
                                                        But you should be too.


A. Tony Jerome is a twenty one year old explosion of messes. They are queer black writer and contributing editor to Words Dance Magazine, was published in a book about how horses heal (Wild at Heart by Heather Kirby), and has work that can be found on theEEEL. Fun facts: they tied a pillowcase to their back and tried to fly after seeing Sky High, their mantra can be found in Wreck-It Ralph, The Babadook, or Orphan Black (depending on the day) and they’re terrified of mostly everything but art makes the fear easier to hold. 
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