"Ten Years"

In the summer of '32,
a young girl was born near
the rundown hospital of the Manhattan
bridge, with ten toes and nine fingers,
yet her father deemed her beautiful
just the way she was.

every crispy, autumn morning
consisted of jumping in leaves
and pumpkin-spiced coffee,
strolling through the parks and
admiring the view of such scarlet-colored
scenery, and those first four years
the girl was happier than her father
ever believed was possible.

chilly, winter nights consisted of
large teddy bears as Christmas presents,
bedtime stories told by the fireplace,
buttermilk pancakes and her favorite
hot cocoa, and snuggling in warm
blankets as her father held her closer
than ever.

blossoming, spring afternoons
were of cotton candy and easter egg
hunting, carnival rides and horseback
riding, jumping rope and lakeside
fishing, and photographs of memories
that she would hold onto forever.

her mother had left long ago,
yet he never told her this; but promised
that she was out there saving the world,
and is waiting for her in a beautiful place
far away from home.

"when can i go there?" she had asked
him one day, her ocean blue eyes
staring up at him with curiosity.

without looking at her, he replied,
"soon, darling, soon," and walked
away from her into the kitchen to
continue making her chicken soup.

he was the only man in her life
that could ever make her so happy,
working late night shifts just to help
pay for the food bills, so he could buy
her favorite cereal with the free toy inside,
and take her to the ice cream shop
and go on all her favorite carnival rides.

he did everything to make her smile,
reminding her that she was strong
and beautiful even with only nine
fingers, and patched up all her cuts
and bruises when the kids pushed her
off the monkey bars in the playground.

"I love you, daddy," she would always
say, right before he would kiss her
goodnight and go to bed. he smiled
and said the same to her, knowing
that this might be the last time he
might ever get to do so.

one rainy, summer day,
he told his daughter that he had
to leave. the trains could be
heard in the distance, as men
were lining up to fight the same
battle. she stood crying on the
doorstep, while her grandmother
promised to look after her, and
her father knelt down in front of
her and whispered, "don't worry,
I'll be back before you know it."

and in the autumn of '42,
as rockets continued to fall
from the sky and buildings
were slowly burning to ashes,
she sat waiting by the windowsill
of her apartment, her nine fingers
pressed against the glass pane,
patiently waiting, like her father
had promised.
but grandmother kept urging her
to leave, for it was no longer safe
to be living in the city, and with
tears rolling down her soft, pale
cheeks, she looked to her father's
mother and whispered, "daddy
promised me he'll be back soon,
but i think he's in a far away place
now...waiting for me."

-Maryam, redvelvet8975