After Thanksgiving
Anna Cates
Raindrops fall heavier than yesterday's cheeseburgers and turkey.
Pellets pound down like harsh words over a trailer park family,
Experiencing the aftermath of feasting.
A son pukes in the shower and just leaves it there--
The phone is off the hook,
But all the flowers have been watered.
A daughter stands before the looking glass and drowns inside the mirror,
Screaming inside, mouth wide open--
Fat, where a tan should be.
A mother has thrown herself into bed,
Wanting to go back to a time when her face was not so ripe and red and
Heavy arms and legs didn't pin her down to the mattress like she were dead.
Her hand stretches out as if an apple has been released.
She stares outside the dripping window,
Remembering when she forced herself a jog.
The sounds of rain keep speeding up
Like runners that catch up with you then pass you by.
Junior's little head jots around the room.
Happier than all the rest,
He laughs at how they seem to love themselves the best.
