Headlines

My little sister won’t look me in the eye.
She knows
she’s wearing too much makeup
and I know
telling her won’t help.

My mother sits next to the stove,
shaking her newspaper out
over weary feet.
She sighs,
and my eyes avoid the headlines.

There’s a strange sound
behind me in the dining room.
I turn, just a little.
The cat sits on the table
choking on the lily petals
fallen from the centerpiece.

The sound makes me sick.
My throat tight,
I want to ask-
“Who’s responsible?”

My mother turns a page
and stares at me
above the smeared newsprint.

Young Girl Abducted

“What, hun?”

3 Teens Killed in Car Accident

I can’t quite speak.

54 Lives Claimed in South American Earthquake

My voice is quiet.
Definitely quieter than those headlines.

“Who’s responsible?”


The cat gags again
and my mother looks confused.

“For what, dear?”