Childhood Nightmare Poem by Tony Kavuoti

The back stairwell with its first floor hallwaywas a sacred space for me as a young child, it was an intersection that connected worlds, the outdoors, my grandparents home on the first floor of the two family house. It also led to the terrifying basement with all of it stored wonders.There, in the hallway right bythe first flight of stairs, from the landing I see my father lying in a puddle of blood, with no hands but hooks, lying unconscious. In my overwhelming sadness andterrified state of shockI rundown the rest of the stairs to him.inchildhood naivete Somehow I believe that love, that God, something will undo this, and I wakeup.