He's gone,

He died the next morning.

He arrived at school,
meager new kid,
eager to please.

Six months later,
leaving my bedroom,
feeling a little sick,
but well enough
to find his way home,
to pass out on top of the covers.

He turned blue at midnight.

His parents,
“we’ll let him sleep in”,
found him breathless as wax.

I won’t let the blame fall on me.