Chalkboard Bully

Sun, 09/22/2013 - 10:13 -- pompas

I tried

to learn.

I raised my hand,

but "why" was a dirty

word.

You sat me

in a corner

so I wouldn't be

a distraction

to the ones

whose moms

bought their clothes new

at the mall

and packed them lunches.

When I tried to talk

to them

the clean ones,

the ones who ate supper

every night

at a table,

I was always wrong.

When a blonde girl

pushed me down the bleachers

you told me

it was my fault.

If I didn't act so weird,

maybe the other kids

would be my friends.

You told me I should try

to fit in.

I tried.

The only things I learned

were how to make

myself invisible.

How to keep

my mouth shut.

How to not ask questions.

And how to hide

my learning,

how to make the knees and elbows

of adolesence

disappear

behind the pages of a book.

I escaped you,

chalboard bully,

curiosity crusher.

I escaped

with my mind.

I was lucky.

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