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Free Entry 2, Week 3

What Is A North Fayette Black Panther

When I was in the 2nd grade
they tried to test my gift
they showed me 4’s and 9’s
and pictures of apples
and asked me to learn to label
they taught me labels
but when I was a few years older
I learned that one finger
has the power to kill a bird
halt a lunch room of 200 kids
and silence my remaining lunches for the week.
Why is it that I woke up to
hand signals having more power
than words? A kid can call me
a cracker, taint me for life,
and talk for the rest of his lunch.
I can’t figure out who I was supposed to be
back in those days, with school calling
me gifted and boys calling me proper
girls calling me cute and I replying
with silence. One year they said be
a positive action kid, and the next
join a circle of friends.
What matters anymore
if a girl that smashes her peas on her plate
and mixes in chocolate milk must
eat the masterpiece, yet the boy
who put hot sauce in his juice
gets in trouble for double dog daring
someone to drink it?

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