When I was a child

I learned how to cover my ears

So I could not hear.

But I could constantly hear crying

And it wasn't until recently

That I realized the tears were coming from my eyes,

The sniffling from my nose,

The sobbing from my mouth.

When I was a child

I learned how to cover my ears

So that I could not hear.

My parents like octopi or praying mantises.

The bickering never seemed to end.

A saying: it's not over till the fat lady sings

Reality: it's not over till the children are crying and the teenager is yelling at his parents to just stop

When I was a child

I learned no matter how harshly

I covered my ears,

I can never stop hearing the screaming.