Dear Mom and Dad,
Didn’t you realize we were his Disneyworld?
We were his dream come true, his happy ending.
That night he came to us like a stray dog
Matted hair, tangled, years without a comb
Glancing nervously, clutching a tattered box
Inside was a golf ball, a used calling card, a red checker
Prized possessions collected over nine years of horrifying life.
We had to show him everything, remember?
From how to mix hot and cold water in the shower
To using a fork when he ate his pork chops.
Remember the bedtime stories?
I had outgrown them long before he came
But with him there I could have listened all night
While your read about kings and castles
I would watch his face in the soft light
As memories of his mother’s pervert boyfriends
Shed their slimy skin and he escaped
To a world where nine-year-old boys are innocent
And can grow up to be princes instead of inmates.
And then there was Christmas
You made him a stocking, hung it next to mine
It was then I thought he’d stay.
And I remember the day he talked about it.
A breakthrough, the child psychologist said.
He told us about the pills and his mother’s blue face
That stayed cold and stiff when he tried to wake her.
In Spring you bought him a bicycle
I taught him to ride and soon he was flying,
Pedaling like the past was a thing to be outrun.
In Summer he learned how to swim
No one had ever taken him to a lake before.
Remember how happy we were?
I heard you talk about adoption, you know,
Late at night, when you thought I was asleep.
Maybe that’s why I was so surprised
When you sat us both down
To tell us about your Decision.
He didn’t cry, and I think you should know
He was braver than you’ve ever been
In that moment when our living room split
And opened up to swallow him
He had lost two whole families
To suicide and rejection
And he wasn’t yet ten.
Do you remember the day he left?
We stood on the front lawn
An impatient social worker in the driveway
And he came out, clutching that tattered cardboard box
He didn’t take the bike or the Christmas presents.
Like our family, maybe they were never really his.
Remember how small he looked as the car drove away?
Remember how you held each other and cried?
I hated you then.
And if I ever have children of my own,
If I ever know what it means to truly love a child,
Maybe I’ll finally tell you how often I think of that day
When you gave away my brother
And turned him out into the brutal world
With only a golf ball, a used calling card
And a red checker.
About the Creator
Ally North
NYC/Connecticut. I have degrees in Creative Writing and Anthropology; I write a lot of fantasy and spec fiction as well as the occasional stage play. When I'm not writing I'm eating candy and reading about shark attacks and plane crashes.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
Comments (33)
What a heartfelt and tragic piece. Thank you for sharing.
Nice work.
This is so heartbreaking. I never had much of a real relationship with my dad, but I did have a family who loved me outside of his world of fear and pain. This is a brilliant examination of what can happen when that love is not there and you have no choice but to leave what should not have to be left behind. A well-deserved Top Story!
There are no words to express how much it hurt to read this Top Story. I just want to turn back time and say, "Wait...can't you see. Nothing can be more important than giving this child a home now!" But I can't, and the tears in my eyes and lump in my throat can't change what happened. I hope and trust that some parents who needed a child as much as he needed a family soon found him and gave him something better than Disney World. I choose to believe that is what happened.
This poem is shattering. As glad as I am to see it make the Top Story, I wish it did not have to be written at all. If Joshua is still out there, I hope he finds the home and peace he deserves and that you find peace knowing you did everything you could. Thank you. Take care.
As the mother of an adopted child, this letter broke my heart. My daughter was like your brother - she had been rejected and neglected by potential parents until I came along. I knew that one more rejection would turn her into an angry kid, wrapped in barbed wire, so I stayed, which was a really hard decision at the time. But like you, I knew that she needed to be loved, needed family. I'm so sorry your parents couldn't be there for your brother and I totally understand why it's hard to forgive them. I'm not sure I could either.
So real and so sad! 😭
Oof! That was heartbreaking and so emotional but so damn good. I swear I felt what was happening there, you could really feel the pain. Excellent writing!
What a punch to the gut and a vice around the heart. This was so tragic. Congratulations on Top Story for his emotional piece.
So powerful. Congratulations on Top Story!
Wow...I want to go back and hold both of those little boys. Heartbreaking tale and yet beautiful.
You spoke well of the type of pain that stays with you for a lifetime.
Fucking hell. I am crying. This is possibly the most gut wrenching story i have read on vocal. No more words!
Nice📝 ❤️😉Congratulations on your Top Story🎉🎉✨💖🎉🎉
This was a very personal piece that every word is felt so viscerally and painfully. So very raw here. Congratulations on top story !
Wow. This hits hard with powerful truth and all the emotions that go along with them. Subscribed.
Oh sooooo sad.... Heartfelt ❤️ I felt it
Ouch, this one cuts powerfully deep. I don't want to read and run, but I'm going to need to mull on this one before I can comment properly 🤔
Well, you have me in tears. This is such a powerful piece. You have a way with words that makes us feel the emotion of that day right along with you. This is truly masterful writing.
Oh my, Ally. I'm already a fan of your excellent writing as you probably know. I have to say that you've outdone yourself on this one. I'm just sad that it has to be related to such a heartbreaking truth.
OMG! this rips my heart out💔 Why not check out my story? https://vocal.media/fiction/the-spark-of-rebellion
Ally, this poem was truly moving! You expressed this experience and these emotions so well. My hearts breaks for situations like these. Thanks for sharing your poem. ❤
Powerful doesn't quite describe this one. It hits like a brick to the face! Well done, and welcome to my reading list!
OMG, you just cut me open and completely rearranged my insides! Loved, hated and cried....you have a new follower...wow
Oh - this rips my heart out - I am so sorry for you and Joshua. 💕