I wrote this poem in December of 2024.

run away from your demons, run away from your trauma
by running away to the philippines and abandoning your 4 children
and playing happy families with the girl who’s only 2 years older
than your oldest son
run away and try to live out your own version of happiness
pretend your American nightmare was a nightmare
lived and already forgotten about
except your children’s faces and all of your misdeeds
will come to haunt you in your dreams the minute
you find sleep
it won’t matter how many trips, how many child brides you have,
how much you tell yourself “I’m great, I’m fine”
all of that guilt sits in your gut ready to burst
ready to explode and another bout of pleading forgiveness
will appear out of nowhere as you near 50
and after that happens
Karma will come around
you’ll sow what you harvest and reaped