crawling up into daddy's lap when dad was still DADDY nodding my head against his chest soaking in the comfort of his heart LISTENING to the thump...thump somewhere beneath muscle and breastbone I remember his arms their sublime ENCIRCLING and the shawdow of his voice "I love you, little girl. Put away your bad dreams. Daddy's here" I put them away, Until Daddy became my nightmare that one that came HOME from work everyday and instead of picking me up, chased me far far away
Ellen HopkinsAnd now life has become the future. Every moment of your life is lived for the future-you go to high school so you can go to college so you can get a good job so you can get nice house.
Ellen HopkinsRed and raw like my brain, unable to shut down, thoughts crashing like electrons orbiting a nucleus of deuling emotions.
Ellen HopkinsIt [death] chokes you, gags you, but you have to pretend that you're doing just fine, not trembling with this fear because the end is close.
Ellen Hopkins