i.
you can think of it as cops & robbers
where he’s the bad guy
& you’re dialling nine-one-one but
the cops aren’t answering
and this is how you know
that this is not a game
ii.
when you are old enough to come back
to these evenings
shut away in the base of your bones
and unfold layers of twisted memories
remember to be kind
to yourself
too young to know the rules you played by
were set by someone commandeering an entirely different game
of violation
that was not fun
no matter what he said
otherwise
iii.
remember that the stars
have their black scars too
yet they shine so brightly
we still see their light
light-years after they are gone
and you will yet love the world like the sun
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