untold stories

Chinonye Alilonu, United States

My mother’s perfume reeked of untold stories
Her clothing laced with memories of simpler times
A trip when she was with child
A young woman with no idea of what was to follow
The man on the boat sang her songs of sorrow
My mother wanted to cry, but had forgotten how.
Exiting the boat when she reached her destination,
My mother began anew.
I pull on her vintage skirts, asking for tales of old
She refuses.

Chinonye Alilonu is a high school senior attempting to forge a path in the world through her writing. In her free time, she dreams of flight.