Hide and Seek
Azalea Aguilar
Sometimes my children
hide in plain sight
pull covers over themselves
when I enter a room
sometimes I do it too
when papi arrives home
I curl up on the sofa
between them
he meows his way to us
before pulling down
the blanket to our screams
other times they crouch
behind furniture
too small to hide
their growing bodies
the youngest still
draws on walls
equations on the window sill
her sister's name on the staircase
a rainbow in the doorway
lately I rarely tuck them in
days heavier as I age
they come to say good night
youngest nuzzles
her face in my chest
oldest offers her
forehead for a kiss
they still seek for me
insist I witness
look mommy, look, look
for how long I wonder
Published in Issue No. 11, Custos Verborum, August 1st, 2025.
Azalea Aguilar is a Chicana poet from South Texas, gulf scents and childhood memories linger in her work. Her poetry delves into complexities of motherhood, echoes of trauma, and resilience found in spaces shaped by survival. Her work has appeared in Angel City Review, The Skinny Poetry Journal, and The Acentos Review.
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