Tonight's Poet Corner: Late Night Snack

Late Night Snack
by Belinda Roddie

I found the cut off crusts
of your peanut butter and jelly sandwich
in our beagle's food bowl, already growing
moldy. You were curled up on the couch,

watching soccer and giggling every time
a fullback pretended that he had been severely
injured. When I reached down to stroke your
hair, you flinched like I was going to hit you. If

only you knew I am not like your mother or
your father, looming over you in the smallest
corner of your room when you were a child, snapping
a belt to make it sound like a snake lunging
to strike, refusing to let you eat cookies and milk -

and peanut butter and strawberry jam
sandwiches, the sugar oozing from your
pores as I finally got to kiss you good night.