mom force fed

clichés

down my throat

so I could throw up

fabricated lies of a perfect family

and after awhile, I craved these

stale and trivial phrases,

I would get cavities from every

vapid expression, the sweetness

of each word wedged into

my gums until blood

weeped and dripped

down my lips, staining the tint.

dad force fed

movie memorabilia

down my throat

so I could throw up

artificial memories of my family

and after awhile, I lost track

of what happened on screen,

and what happened in real life,

each fraudulent recollection

tracing from one eyelid to the next, running away with my sight,

leaving me blind to the truth.