Niece by Daniel N. Flanagan

Cradled in your arms

Nuzzled close to your

Sweat stained neck

She cries

For she can smell

Offended by

Your noxious odor.

Slowly;

Rock-Rock-Rocking

She wails

As you rock out of rhythm

& burb with too much force.

She wonders why,

Why her mother’s mouthful of

A couple of teeth &

A fifth of vodka

Smell so

Foul

I mourn the loss of

The developmental stages of

My niece

For what we both have never known,

A mother.

Daniel N. Flanagan is a Worcester, MA native. He is the author of the short story "Daddy's Girl", located in The Commonline Journal, and seven poems, featured in Aberration Labyrinth, Three Line Poetry, Pyrokinection, Dead Snakes and The Onyx. He has four stories and five poems scheduled for publication between January and September '14. Check him out at www.DanFlanagan.webs.com and follow him @DanielNFlanagan.