My uncle's windowless house

A visit to my poor uncle

He picked me up at the train station.

straight to his windowless house.

with dark,

dirty curtains

surrounding the wall.

No broom,

just damp leaves.

tied together

with a rope to sweep.

He showed me the room to sleep in.

The room had no windows either.

There was only a single bed.

and three blankets.

A small radio was hung on the wall with a wire.

He handed me freshly cooked food.

Which I thought he might have bought for me.

However, his house had no kitchen.

My first night began.

The room was dark.

no bulb to light

only the candle and a match

The rain began outside.

Rainwater leaked through the wall.

flowing to my head

The rats stole all my food when I was fixing the bed. 

Mice jumped on top of my body.

His dog was barking non-stop outside.

I prayed to feel better.

I thought of my dad, who had told me not to leave. 

I began crying the whole night.

The following day, in the morning,

I woke up earlier than my uncle.

I took my bag and fled.

to catch the first train back home.

Just a few weeks after running back home,

I heard that my uncle had passed away.

Nobody knows what killed him.

I feel terrified.

Maybe I would have been dead too.