Progression
Updated: Feb 19
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