words that hurt by Bogdan Dragos

her words awakened
physical pain
in him

the mere sound of them
was like
claws scratching against
his brain

When she's old enough,
a mother can
hurt her son
like she never could in
her youth

Listening to her
now,
he felt like crying

And she wasn't even
cursing him
She just looked around
and then finally set
her eyes on him
and repeated the
same question
"When is he
coming home?"

"But mother, I am home,"
he cried. "It's me!"

But in reply
she would only make a
confused face
and start looking around
again
and ask the same
question again

She was
only 62
and aside from her
mind
everything was healthy
about her

which only meant that
they'll both be
stuck in
this hell
for longer

Years that will
feel like decades