Family Portrait
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I love you, now go make their bottles and change their diapers, learn how to cook for them and bathe them because I won’t be home often and you’re the oldest; leave your childhood behind and babysit them, don’t be selfish help me out I love you, I love you too; Do well in school you’re better than a B+, be an example to them they look up to their big sister, I love you, but you can’t go hang out with your friends you have to babysit remember? don’t be selfish, help me out because I won’t be home, but they’re not my kids; Help them with their homework because I’ll get too frustrated with them; I love you, you’re not allowed to ground them, you’re not their mom, but make sure to walk them to school and pick them up; have dinner ready on the table when they get home, I’ll be too tired from work to do it, don’t forget to do all your chores or you’ll be grounded; I never go out anyways, You finally graduated high school, make sure you do your chores when you get home; no you can’t go out you have to babysit them, don’t be selfish; You got into college, Congratulations! It’s so far away, you’re moving to college and leaving us behind, you’re selfish; they know I love them more than I love myself , I’ll miss you; I’ll call you every day, I love you and make sure you get at least two jobs on campus because I could never help with your tuition; now that you have jobs send me money too, I love you; They’re not listening to me, I thought you could maybe talk to them, I can’t talk right now I’m on my way to class; Okay, I’ll call you at a different time, you haven’t called in weeks; you sent your dad money? you’re selfish, he’s not even your biological father; he didn’t ask, he raised me as his own since I was six years old; I’m sorry, I’ll contact you if I need something else, I know; You haven’t picked up the phone when I call, don’t you love me anymore? I have three jobs, and B+’s aren’t enough, I don’t have time; If you loved me you would pick up the phone, don’t bite the hands that once fed you; I didn’t raise you to be selfish, I raised myself; You only call to talk to them, don’t you want to know how I’m doing? don’t you love me? Do I? When are you coming back home? I don’t know if I want to anymore, I miss you, don’t you miss me? I’m selfish, you’re just having a bad day, don’t forget that I love you; How could I ever possibly forget?
Leslie Amaiya Monterrosa is a 20 year old college student at Elmira College in Elmira, New York. While she loves writing poetry, her majors are English Literature, Psychology, and Criminal Justice. She hopes to become an FBI agent. Monterrosa grew up living in Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico and Los Angeles, California.
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