The night before my birthday
mama woke us in the dark.
She said to pack…
…only what could fit in one suitcase.
We took the keys. We left the photos.
We were going to drive someplace safe.
Our neighbors…
…ran into the street…
…and reached for each other.
We took only what we could carry…
…and climbed onto a truck.
*


To be continued next month!