N*****s

The baby crawled into

the plastic storage box

The lid closed.

It felt cozy there 

as he pressed

against the clear sides.

His mother did not hear

nor see him give a laugh

and a wave. She did not see him 

fidgeting 

and 

getting restless.

The baby marvelled at 

how the sides were so smooth

Even as he wondered in his

baby brain why his lungs 

did not fill. But no matter.

Every experience is new and unusual.

Why should this one 

be less different?

The baby shook 

and trembled 

and gasped. But without fear or anguish.

His sight began to dim 

and his mind

began to numb.

He thought about sleep

and n*****s gone

dry

Reviews

[NoneOfYourBusiness akaK..]

what a haunting effigy in darkness~ the innocence gone to air without air~ social nuances threaded through the first person response~ and gad that last stanza is a literary bullet hitting its mark in the mind of the reader~ shatterways~ your ability to create both a haunting scene and flesh it with reactive emotional nuances is damn strong~ chilling human uncoiling tale~

[J. Snipes]

Sad, desperate. Brings to mind "Little Boy Blue" by Eugene Field-1830/1895 last published 1911

[Penlady]

Wow! Its like a bullet coming at you, and you can't move till the end and then the real bullet strikes in blame! haunting read. Having so many children, grand and greats, YES! You hit the nail on the head but with such poetic justice. Beautifully tragic and rivets one in the reading.

[Michael X]

wow, this is intriguing and well written!

[MetBySunlight]

Wow, it's sad and intense with a twist to the end. I like it :D

[.]

God ...that's intense..horrific...but strangely beauitfully captured..wow

[joshua deathdealer]

Horrifically intense with a darker twist. Nice one Frank.

[Dahlia Phoenix]

Dear God! This is sad. No baby should die in that manner. :( Nice poem overall.

[MmeCorpse]

I love how you drive the point home near the end. A powerful metaphor, indeed.