Laughed At Me

Empress
The night your mom died, I slunk after you to watch you cry, hiding from family, bolted in your shed at the end of the yard.
Your head backlit by the bare bowl, picking out tears and [?] matched on each side of your screwed, stubbled face.

I cried, dad.
Sobs surprised me as school gathered for lunch the day you disposed of gran.
I sat, breath pressed in a chest coopered in unseen hoops.
Tears shunted across my kid skin.
Mates stared at my face shading red, laughed at me, fingers pointеd, and I laughed at me too.