SoMa Literary Review

Abide

By Michael Tiemeyer

Abide by the rules they said.
Abide by the rules or you'd wish you were dead!
The grass was said to have been green.
The sky an immaculate blue.
But to these eyes of mine, black would be the only color I see for the rest of my life.
Children run to and fro before my lonely park bench.
Nobody says hello. Nobody says good-bye.
Nobody asks why I sit here and cry!
Doomed from the horrified night.
They took everything, including my sight
Abide by the rules they said.
Abide by the rules, or you'd wish you were dead!

Originally from New Jersey, Michael now lives in Alameda.