boy crying

the little boy being carried by his mother
looking over her shoulder crying
screaming
DAAAD


daddy
daddy
DAAAAAAd,
and his older brother looks back, pausing walking backwards as his dad goes out of sight, the now 8 year old boy stumbles as his emotions are flooded with loss, fear and confusion.
the boy gets a slap to the back of his head and stern words from his mother, and stays in step with his mom, as a cloud of withheld tears exhale from his chest.

and around the corner is a man with a tissue and water filled eyes
using the tissue to blow his nose and hide his emotionally ravaged countenance.
the background of tears fills his world and all he sees are shadows.

the darker, painful places that are exposed only in the bright light of his four-year olds expressed trauma.

that horrible screaming of voice pushed to its cracking point
tears and snot flooding out of the littlest one,
vividly screaming


DAAAD


daddy
daddy
DAAAAAAd,
Don't go


Please don't go

Please don't go