Kiddo : Odd Ball Recollections of a Crazed Youth

by Sam Gross

There was a boy with a voice.

A voice that would not go away.

It spoke in his head and it wished he was dead and all of the world felt gray.

Sometimes he would hit himself and others he would sit with himself.

Everytime no one would listen and leave him feeling wrong.

Sometimes people would come right along and give him shots and give him pills but nothing quieted the voice.

“You should not be here. You should not be at all. You should go somewhere high and have yourself a fall.”

And the boy would sit and the boy would try not to listen. He was afraid that he would.

He was afraid that if he said anything he would find himself pushed.

So he sat.

So the boy sat still.

He sat still against his will.

And then one day he spoke.

He spoke when he looked at his pill and wished he would choke.

“Mom, I don't want to be here.” he said.“I wish I was dead.”

His mom was still. His mom held him close.

His mom kissed his head and told him that he meant the most.

“I love you so much and I know that it's hard.”

“It is.” the boy said. “I can’t make the voice go away.”

“You don’t have to.” mom said.

“What do you mean? It’s telling me I should be dead.”

“It is normal sometimes to wish you were not here or wish you were not there.”

“It comes and it goes to these highs and these lows and sometimes we cannot help but live.”

And she kissed him again and she brought him to bed and tucked him in and made him a snack and held him so close.

She felt she could have a heart attack but she was still and she was strong.

She knew what it took to go on and go on.

“I love you.” she said.

“I love you too.” he said.

And they were strong all the way through.

For once the voice was quiet.

And strong they stayed all the way though.

60 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 27, 2022

About the author

Sam Gross was an American cartoonist, specializing in single-panel cartoons.