Flatline

Diepreye Amanah

After his tiny

lips and soles turned

blue, and his warm

cotton breath ran cold,

they shut the curtains

and bolted the doors

as if light would prevent

him from appearing

when they moaned

his name. Then they

took down the curtains,

tinted the windows, p

ainted the walls orange,

repainted them beige, then gray.

They burned his

clothes and toys

with the furniture,

held hands, blamed

each other, wore

matching black.

They tried to

have another baby.

They sold the house

and moved away.

Soon they smiled again,

then suddenly stopped

talking. The therapist said

they would be okay.

He packed his bags

and slammed the door.

She shaved her head,

tossed her Bible,

stared into the dark.

She was found today

cold, blue, still, but free.

-Diepreye Amanah is a sophomore from Charlotte, NC, pursuing majors in Nutrition and English and a minor in Chemistry.-