it was late
she would
normally be
in bed
dreaming
of lollipops
and candy canes
little ponies
and spongebob
normally had
said her prayers
(not that scary
one; now I lay
me down to sleep)
normally pray
that mommy
and everyone
else be safe
and perhaps
even asked
for a toy
or two
the lights
went down
it was
exciting
normally
by this time
she’d be
asleep
into her
third dream
riding horses
fightin’ the
bad guys
saving the
good guys
the previews
came on
but here
she was
with her
favorite
person
in the
whole wide
world;
her mom
her hero
the one
who kisses
the boo-boos
and wipes
away the tears
batman rises
be asleep
but she was
hereand
would rather
be no where
elsesitting
next to the
woman who
brought her
into the
world\
where else
could she be?
she would have
had warm
milk (she really
did not like that
but mommy
said it would
make her strong
when she grew up)
normally she
would have
jumped into
mommy’s bed
early in the
morning
begging for
pancakes
or waffles
her laugh
would light
up the room
and her
mother with
sleep still in
her eyes
would kiss
her and
the race
to the kitchen
would begin;
last one there
is a rotten
egg\
and she
would giggle
because she
was never
the last one
there she was
never the
rotten egg
and normally
be on the
way home
want to be
Catwoman
Wonder Woman
any woman
now she’s
asleep the
madman
came in
and a little
girl is
no longer
with us
but her
smile lives
on with an
ice cream cone
in one hand
and now the
universe in
the other.