By Lauren Handy
Honorable Mention, Prose, Create | Encounter 2019
“Where did you find that?”
I was just a child. Excited to create art with her daddy.
“Where did you find that?”
A small rusty case. With sand from far away. With tools I’ve never seen.
“They were the bad guys”
They were tools used to get info.
“They were the bad guys”
They were sharp. Some twisted. All wrong.
“Sometimes you just see red.”
This wasn’t the same dad who bought ice cream for breakfast.
“Sometimes you just see red.”
This wasn’t the same dad who played records as we painted together.
“I love you. You’re safe.”
The same hands that tortured, taught me how to mix colors
“I love you. You’re safe.”
The same hands that destroyed, taught me to create.