origami roses

Kevin Atwater

Compositor: Kevin Atwater

He was standing in the hallway with a notebook after band
Had my name on the pages and in cursive on one hand
His brother was in the army, his mother was never home
He would walk down our street and watch my family from our porch

He used to change his name every couple weeks online
Always biblically important, Job to Isaac to Elijah
Never spoke to me in person, always talking through a friend
Who'd follow up with a warning: Don't do something you'll regret

He would leave me little origami roses
Blooming at our door
I'd carry them like sleeping babies to my room
And keep them quiet in my drawer

He used to draw us naked with him kissing me in bed
Wasn't used to the attention from a boy in my life then
So I messaged him in panic
Could you please leave me alone
But all the while kept it quiet, didn't let anyone know

But it escalated quickly, he would follow all my friends
Taking pictures of my family scratching out their eyes in pen
It came at the dinner table, sent me something like a threat
I will take what I am able I will take what I can get

He would leave me little origami roses
Blooming at our door
I carried them like sleeping babies to our school
For his file in the drawer