Progression

age 8 - oblivious:

my almond-shaped eyes crinkling,

smiling and giggling on the monkey bars

elementary school:

a time of simplicity

a time of blissful ignorance

he looked at my eyes and brought his fingers to his temples

pressing and stretching his lids like they were some type of toy

“you look just like me!” i exclaimed

he laughed

they laughed

and so i laughed

while ignoring my blurring vision

and closed up throat because they were

still laughing

at me

age 10 - ashamed:

my vibrant pink lunch box bounced in my hands

as i made my way to the cafeteria tables

the cacophony of students adds to the usual colorful chaos

but they sneer at me

their noses upturn

and i see them squirm

nanay told me it was rude to criticize

that i’m supposed to keep my thoughts to myself

so why did they do it to me?

was the rice not white enough for them?

so i turned my nose up at the dishes my mom made

and opted for food that my peers accepted

too stuck up to notice my mother’s sullen face when i refused her food

too naive to realize my mistakes