Losing My Babies
by Jackie Chou
They were there, boxes of them,
in the garage.
Words, grey but no less enthralling
than a skilled embroiderer’s
tapestries of amazing sceneries
in bright red, turquoise, silver, and gold,
drafted under the sun and the stars,
in computer labs,
perched on my revolving chair
like a video game crazed teenager nowadays,
stamped with conviction
good grades and
poignant, passionate, ingenious, etc.
Things I can no longer say.
Yet in my slumber, my father,
stealthy like a murderer
getting rid of his evidence,
threw them all away,
when we moved.
AUTHOR’S PHOTO CAPTION: Taken August 2, 2016 of some writing that was saved.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: This poem has helped me process my anger toward my father for throwing away all my writing when we moved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jackie Chou studied Creative Writing at USC. She writes poetry in an attempt to construct meaning out of everyday experiences, to defy ordinary perceptions, and as an alternative to “ranting” to friends on Facebook. She attends writing workshops and has been published locally.
Silver Birch Press 
Oh, I do feel for you. I had a collection of sketch books full of artwork that I shall never see again. I haven’t sketched since–some 30 years later.
Heartbreaking–his disregard for your “babies”!! I think I’d still be angry too!!