by Bobby Ma
Art by Irene Han
Issue: Aphelion (Spring 2016)
Helplessness
Mother, what’s that on TV?
“Oh it’s nothing,”
she assured her child.
Mother, the wind is blowing.
“It blows all the time,”
she calmly replied.
Mother, the rain is falling.
“It rains often in the summer,”
she hoped it were true.
Mother, a storm is coming.
“It’s not unusual,”
she collected herself.
Mother, the waves are crashing.
“It won’t reach our home,”
she quivered.
Mother, we are knee-deep in water.
“Get on the roof,”
Mother, they said to leave the city.