Bleach

God, I can’t get the smell

Of pool off my skin.

My nose is going deaf

And my arms can’t feel no more.

I scrub at the purple stains

In the tub, my

Eyes drawn to the purple

Blotch in the crook

Of my elbow.

No one else bruised

Quite as bad as I did.

I used to worry that I’d never bruise.

Now It won’t go away.

He asked why

I chose my dominant hand

And I guess I didn’t really think about it.

Writing was hard during 7th period

And I could hardly dance

After school was out.

God, why does it smell like bleach in here?

Open the window, my eyes hurt.

It’s like I've been swimming in 

Mimi’s pool all day,

With Papa staying out to watch 

Out for my sisters and i

Making sure we don't drown

Refusing to where sun screen

His shoulders bright red.

Me and my sister would

Play prince and princess. 

I was the prince and she was the 

Helpless damsel, 

Stuck at the top of the tower

Of steps into the pool.

Why do I have to clean the bath tub?

The hair is from one sister brushing her hair

And the purple is from the other’s 

Blonde shampoo.

The sponge is pink when I start

But when I come back at 9:30 pm

To finish the job

Cuz my eyes were getting so itchy

And my lunges felt heavy

The sponge isn’t as pink anymore.

Is bleach bad for your skin?

Mom said to just spray the bottle, she would have

Warned me if it were too bad.

My hands smell like f*****g bleach

And I’m sick of it.

The least it could do is 

Make me less pink.

I have to shower today, because I shower 

On Sundays. 

Sundays are shower days.

But it smells like bleach and I

Don’t want to get yelled at.

Scrubbing at the 

Purple stains

In the grout

And in the drain

And on my arm.

It doesn’t hurt anymore.

But it looks bad.

My sisters keep telling me to wear 

Long sleeved shirts

Because they keep looking at it

And it makes them feel sick.

But the stench of bleach is making me sick

And it's in my f*****g skin

So I don’t really see why they’re complaining so much.

They can just stop looking

But I can’t exactly stop breathing.

God, I need to wash 

The smell of pool

Off of my skin

Before 

I stop smelling

And my eyes stop seeing.

I need to stop looking at the bruise in my elbow.

I need to stop thinking so much

About bleach.