fear itself

see my heart breaking, little baby in the beaten up car with north carolina plates, as your owners lift you out of your car seat to comfort you while they pull out of their pit stop parking spot to drive away. they roll up the windows, love, because it’s really hard to enjoy the sweet smell of the apple-flavored “black and milds” that they are smoking when the wind is blowing. they’ll stop yelling at you little one, a few miles down the road, because they’ve stocked up on liquor and once they get a buzz things will calm down. i’m sorry, sweetie, that i shook my head in such a disgusted and judgemental way at your family and friends when i saw all of this happening. but the man sitting next to you, babe, he gave me a really mean look. he meant to protect you, sweet child, and i guess he meant to scare me. scared i am, tiny one, for you.