ANGELS AND MONSTERS
- 3 days ago
- 1 min read
By Hélène Iolanta
I awoke, all eyes
to my sister’s knowing hands covering my mouth
to the mix of yesterday’s blue nail polish and strawberry hair spray
she whispered like lemonade, we have to go
my yellow dinosaur backpack and shoes sat ready
the monsters are coming
Quietly now, she said
as she guided my little arms into my green puffer coat
I looked to her rainbow sneakers, and the moon watching over
so carefully she zipped, up to my chin, then squeezed my shoulders like angels do
I knew that we would now run
from the monsters here
She held my hand
as we shifted like shadows down the hall, past photos and doorways
with flickering lights from under and growling behind, slipping like thieves
we stole ourselves, out through the door
into the blackness outside, from the blackest inside
with the monsters no more