Red Carpets by Laala Kashef Algata
We’re used to seeing blood
now, the sand is soaked
with it, we hear it squelch
beneath our feet. The kids
build sandcastles
and we hold out our arms
to stop them and watch
their expressions drop.
Their abrupt disappointment
paints their faces dead
and we rush forward in regret
offering the smothering kisses
birthed from chronic pain.
We’re used to seeing blood
and every child’s graze
is a flashback to their slack mouths
and lifeless eyes;
we press our children closer.
Rockets explode overhead
showering us with sparks
and Sarah’s tears as she convulses,
shaking with fright.
We’re used to seeing the blood
now, shivering in our veins
and bursting from restraint
waiting for its spectacular entrance,
producing its own red carpet.
Biography - Laala Kashef Alghata is a twice-published poet and novelist. Her poetry and prose collection, Behind the Mask: A Folded Heart is avaliable on Amazon.co.uk. Last month, her poetry was the focus of an exhibit in Clemson Arts Centre, SC. She has been featured widely online; she is a poet-in-residence in Soul to Soul, ArgoBoat and the Peregrine Muse and appears in Argotist Online, Pens on Fire and The Blotter. She is the founder and editor of online poetry magazine, Write Me a Metaphor.
