The Lights Down Low

- The Lights Down Low-
by Keaton Foster


In a row
I know
The lights
Down low
Darkness
It turns out
Somehow glows
Madness
Is true
What I see
So absolute
This world
Home
Skin
And bones
Is my kingdom
A crowning achievement
My parents
Damn them
They did everything
But terminate me
Their faith
Would not allow it
But that same faith
Did nothing
To save me
From them
Or their hatred
I was a mistake
An accident
Continually happening
What a mind job
To always know that
And understand it
Unreal
Unbelievable
Truthfully undeniable
All of it appropriate
All of it adequate
They are dead
Killed
By their own hands
Guilt
What a stone
A mountain
In the palm of the hand
One shot
The other hanged
One suffered
The other
Obliterated
I saw them both
Finder’s keepers
But before they left
Heck was my name
Pain was their game
Their disgust
For me
Was very apparent
Their love
For me
Or for each other
Never once present
The light
Down low
A single shot
Rang out
A dozen bottles
Empty
A hand written note
Beside
Son
Bastard
Awkward attachment
You drove me here
This was because of you
Goodbye
The other
The one called mother
I was older
I came walking in
Looking to ask
A simple question
And there
Swinging from a door
Hellishly supported
A rope
Around the neck
Hung until death
Her eyes
Pale blue
Wide open
In them
There was much truth
And infinitely more
Sadness
Her death
Was not for me
Not for an escape
Her death
Was about release
A way to be free
I wish I could
To this day
Be so damn brave
But I cannot
Will not
After that day
I was given away
Passed around
Like spare change
Abused at will
Until I became
Big enough
To defend myself
It took me
Quite a time to grow
The lights
Down low
I often recall
I have told the tale
A million and one ways
I will never stop
Unlike them
I have meaning
Purpose
I’m here
Even if I am not wanted
I’m still here
And for me
That is something
Something that I need
A thing I thrive towards
So in the end
The one thing
They held against me
Has pretty much
Come to define me…


The Lights Down Low
Written by Keaton Foster Copyright © 2014.