“it’s hereditary” by Claire Stephens

my mothers mother had cancer

and so did my fathers father,

their memories fading like watercolor paints

spilling across the pool where i almost drowned

my parents will forget me

and i will forget it all.

my father and i both pick at our faces till we bleed and leave scars

he tells me that he went to therapy when my mom leaves the room

disagrees with the pills that i choke down each day.

i tell my mother that we never actually talk about anything important

and she grows sour

but i know how her son is afraid of tears

they prick at his eyes

his body full of anger he doesn't know how to control

anger he is afraid of

all our relatives tell me that i am so much like her mother

the mother with a broken mind and too much sorrow

someone who doesn't know what to do but give and give until theres nothing left.

i cant help but agree with their words and the inevitability of it all.

i wonder if i will ever marry and find someone that will want to stay

i wonder if i will be a good aunt or a mother

Claire Stephens likes to write stories and poetry sometimes. She hopes to publish her own book in the future and maybe be a screenwriter.