A Wish and a Prayer

My Mama never cleans the house; 
she lets the dirt pile high.
The cockroaches and other bugs 
are always crawling by.

The refrigerator is empty 
and the bread is hard as stone,
and sometimes when I’m hungry 
I can hear my belly groan.

Still Mama says that tomorrow 
she will clean and cook, but you see,
I know that’s just another lie 
cause she always lies to me.

She spends her check on something 
that this friend of hers calls crack,
and when she’s high, she swears at me 
and hits me in the back.

Her fists are hard, but her words hurt more 
cause I’m just a little kid,
who wishes she’d get better 
and do the things that we once did,

like taking walks on Sundays, 
or going to the ice cream store,
or visiting with Grandma, 
but we don’t do those no more.

When I grow up and have a kid 
I won’t do things like drugs.
I’ll get a job and hug my child, 
and our house will not have bugs!

But until that time I’ll say my prayers 
and hope that God hears me,
cause I know that he must understand 
this thing called poverty…
Copyright © | Year Posted 2019

Poem

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Horn Avatar
September 6, 2020 at 7:20 AM
And poetry. Well said and sad.
Jeavons Avatar
September 6, 2020 at 10:30 AM
Yes, and poetry. Thank you James. Blessings, Susan Maree
Foster Avatar
June 16, 2019 at 8:10 PM
That made me remember things best forgotten. Powerful work of poetry. Thank you. Ann
Jeavons Avatar
June 16, 2019 at 8:29 PM
Hope it didn't upset you Ann. Thank you for reading it. Blessings, Susan
Krutsinger Avatar
January 16, 2019 at 9:42 PM
The title is perfect "a wish and a prayer". I know so many grandmas who are raising their grandchildren thanks to the horrible thing called "drugs". This poem reminds me of all of them and there are many. Others are trying to get custody, but cannot. I do not understand the system at all.
Jeavons Avatar
January 16, 2019 at 9:52 PM
I agree. Drugs are destroying families. The system needs fixed. Too many little ones are falling through the cracks or disappearing. Some even murdered. I pray for them every night. The next day, there are a thousand more who have been abused, tortured, raped, or murdered by parents, mom's boyfriends, and others. Makes me sick!
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