Caroline

At 4 am my face lit up blue from my computer screen

Glass falling onto the keys

In less than nine minutes 

Caroline and siblings are left in a hot Florida car

while twenty something Mum tries to get a job

At six minutes I start shattering

my face retracting into a wrinkled smudge 

At 4am push enter push space click 

Stressing and wrinkled 

Wetness feels familiar to my cheeks

Shallow breathing 

Watching children in a car who can’t breathe

Caroline’s loyalty

and wine spilt on my sheets

4 am sweating and parenting always fails

even when there’s so much love

and when there’s not enough but enough money to make it up

Concerned bystander

Confused Caroline she’s 6

The heat their heads are glistening

I’m tightening my fists

Tipping up the empty

4 and crying

and cycling

Space repeat 

Back to the beginning

My face is itchy

from drying

and puffy

No more wine

Caroline biting

the good samaritan