Falling Down
By Dawn Vandeschoot
London Bridge is falling down Falling down, falling down London Bridge is falling down My fair lady.
Green grass and brown shale and bits of sunlight mixed up together with blood and skin carved out of my right knee. Below that is a stick. No, a bone. My bone. My leg bone. It looks like it should hurt. Screaming around me I think is because of the blood, but I lay and listen and it’s not for me. They are still playing. They are far away.
By Dawn Vandeschoot
London Bridge is falling down Falling down, falling down London Bridge is falling down My fair lady.
Green grass and brown shale and bits of sunlight mixed up together with blood and skin carved out of my right knee. Below that is a stick. No, a bone. My bone. My leg bone. It looks like it should hurt. Screaming around me I think is because of the blood, but I lay and listen and it’s not for me. They are still playing. They are far away.
London Bridge is broken down
Broken down, broken down
Time must go too fast because the sunlight is disappeared and I am still on the ground. I can smell hamburgers on a bar-b-que from across the street. My tummy grumbles with hunger even though I can’t see very well. My eyes have floating sparkles and it’s a long time between blinks. The other kids are gone now. It’s nicer when they aren’t here.
Wood and clay will wash away
Whirring of wheels on concrete passing by. They sound sloppy in the rain. It makes me thirsty. Hello? I can’t say it out loud. A stream of red flows through the shale disappearing into the dark under the orange baseball bleachers.
Bricks and mortar will not stay
My eyes won’t stay closed once it turns dark, I always see the monsters. And the mosquitoes are bad now. The one on my cheek just keeps sucking on me.
Will not stay, will not stay
Mom said to be back before sundown. She must be mad.
My fair lady
The sun is too hot on my head and I like to hide in the bleachers and play with the rocks and the cigarette butts and tell stories in my head.
Build it up
Whenever the red haired one sees me playing, she comes and kicks over my castles and bonfires and laughs and calls me mean names. I’m used to them. I just wish she’d leave my stories alone.
will be stolen away, Stolen away, stolen away
Time must go too fast because the sunlight is disappeared and I am still on the ground. I can smell hamburgers on a bar-b-que from across the street. My tummy grumbles with hunger even though I can’t see very well. My eyes have floating sparkles and it’s a long time between blinks. The other kids are gone now. It’s nicer when they aren’t here.
Wood and clay will wash away
Whirring of wheels on concrete passing by. They sound sloppy in the rain. It makes me thirsty. Hello? I can’t say it out loud. A stream of red flows through the shale disappearing into the dark under the orange baseball bleachers.
Bricks and mortar will not stay
My eyes won’t stay closed once it turns dark, I always see the monsters. And the mosquitoes are bad now. The one on my cheek just keeps sucking on me.
Will not stay, will not stay
Mom said to be back before sundown. She must be mad.
My fair lady
The sun is too hot on my head and I like to hide in the bleachers and play with the rocks and the cigarette butts and tell stories in my head.
Build it up
Whenever the red haired one sees me playing, she comes and kicks over my castles and bonfires and laughs and calls me mean names. I’m used to them. I just wish she’d leave my stories alone.
will be stolen away, Stolen away, stolen away
I brought my favourite toy cow when Mom sent me away. She needs to sleep. I need to get out of her
way. Just go play. In my spot I build a castle with a bridge and a king cow. He is a kind king, and
handsome.
stolen away
Red hair holds the cow up high. I try to grab it. Come and get it fatty she laughs from the top of the bleachers and I run up and she throws it over the edge and I try to catch it. I hear her snort while I am falling. Stupid retard, she says.
Set a man to watch all night
I am crying now. It is salty and makes me more thirsty. No more sounds. Just the buzz of bugs in my ear. Even the faraway sirens have stopped.
Fall asleep, fall asleep
Mommy has a pretty singing voice.
My fair lady.
stolen away
Red hair holds the cow up high. I try to grab it. Come and get it fatty she laughs from the top of the bleachers and I run up and she throws it over the edge and I try to catch it. I hear her snort while I am falling. Stupid retard, she says.
Set a man to watch all night
I am crying now. It is salty and makes me more thirsty. No more sounds. Just the buzz of bugs in my ear. Even the faraway sirens have stopped.
Fall asleep, fall asleep
Mommy has a pretty singing voice.
My fair lady.
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