Age 5
Choking is what woke
my mother from sleep. blue
in the face I gagged
breathless. she shook
my small body. no good.
no good at all.
a hand on each shoulder.
her nail polish chipped.
same purple as always.
her reddish brown curls covered
her face. crying
underneath, as white
as her nightgown.
my spasms stopped
when the fire men came.
my eyes don’t open until much later.
first moments are spent
in pain.
I forgive the doctors when
my pink needle marks
are healed. When I was unconscious
there was nothing to fear.
Artwork © Allison Goldin
Senia Hardwick’s website is www.seniahardwick.wordpress.com
Allison Goldin is an artist living in Cambridge. Her work is a collection of spontaneous drawings from the imagination. The most common link throughout her art are the semi-recognizable creatures scattered amongst and bringing together the surrounding doodles. She is currently studying Illustration at The School of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Excellent! Thank you, Senia for sharing this.