By the school there was
a park surrounded by forest
Four girls (grade seven or eight)
entered a hidden entrance
in the thick trees
branches scratching hands
pushing them aside
to step on fallen leaves
a welcome mat
for cheap shoes
like mine
- I always wore a hole in the bottom
perhaps it's not how far I walked
but where I went that
wore them -
Two Cambodian & One Vietmanese
Older than their age
with me, colors filtering
through the paleness of my skin
I wanted to soak it all in
their richness of culture and experience
They knew there was more to life
than being popular
They knew there were
dark secrets in the world
that can make a
young girls' eyes
look wise...
The clearing heard acceptance
a voice sharing notes
I never thought existed
"How did you do that?"
I asked her, the solemn one,
with long exotic painted fingernails
"I just do it"
she replied and smiled, proud and knowing
which made me wonder,
Who took who under wing?
ADP 27 July 2000
