BREACH OF CONTRACT
By Claire Scott
I want to lodge a complaint
it is being notarized as we speak
you promised to count the hairs on our heads
although I can’t imagine why you would bother
surely there are better ways to spend your time
what of a family living under layers of cardboard
rain washed, wet clothes, constant cough
or a mother stealing insulin for her son
shaking and sweating, thimble heart racing
or people walking lockstep with cancer
unable to pull ahead
If you really want to count hairs it’s OK by me
after all you are the Big Man
but the fine print assumes we will have hair to count
nothing was said about our hair falling out
from weekly infusions that kill harmful cells
but also heaps of healthy ones, leaving us
listless, nauseous, anemic & fog-brained
sending our daughter to school
without a peanut butter sandwich
with a dab of grape jelly & no crusts
too weak to read
Goodnight Moon
skipping pages, hoping she won’t notice
sit by us now, don’t forget those of us with no hair
wearing scarves, baseball caps and ill-fitting wigs
we are still your children