talk to each other in

a blue language

it sounds

like

paradise

February 16

This is the last piece of hair I will pull.

Frances is so lucky!

She is so perfect.

She’s so good at tennis.

I’m not good at anything.

She doesn’t pull her hair out.

Nothing bothers her.

She seems so strong.

Why me?

The Car

I’m surprised

I’m in Matt Demure’s

car because I never ride in

anyone’s car except my mom’s car

my mom had to bring

Clara to another doctor’s

appointment and I have to

go to a school event

Mrs. Demure turns the radio on

and starts singing as

loud as she can

Matt doesn’t flinch just keeps looking

out the window as if

this is normal

I feel the heat on my face

expanding again

but it’s not as hot as usual

something feels different

Mrs. Demure is jumping and

hopping and

clapping in

her seat I suddenly

want to tell everything to

this strange mom this

mom I desperately want

I know she would listen to me

I want to tell her about my sister

my sister’s hair

my Chinese American family that is

mostly Chinese

about the kids at school who

tease me

how I love hitting

tennis balls as hard

as I can

but I sit quietly

hands on my lap

we stop at a red light

she sings and dances in her

seat turns the radio louder

I feel the car bounce

and shake

I’m moving as

the car moves

as if I’m dancing too

I hum and my mouth

moves a little to the words that

I’m surprised

I know

Hair Dream #9

My black hair reaches my feet. All the kids from school follow me around each day, get on their knees, and beg to cut a small piece off. Sometimes I let them. One day I see them gluing some of the strands onto Clara’s head.

February 20

No more hair left to pull.

Frances is so lucky. Mom and dad leave her alone.

I wish they would leave me alone.

I wish Frances would leave me alone.

I wish I could tell Frances.

The Missing Wig

It turns out Josh had hidden

Clara’s first wig in his room

they had moved it away

from the field when no one was looking

his mom had found

it in his room

he got in

big trouble

Josh and Steve

are gone from school for

two weeks

it’s the best

two weeks of

my life

I’m not afraid to walk

down the halls at school

I don’t have to take detours to

avoid their lockers

I can jog slowly during PE and look

at the trees and the birds and

not worry

the school returns

the wig with an apology letter from

Josh and Steve

their handwriting in even square blocks on

second-grade lined paper

Annie and I even get our

money back

the wig looks sad and

battered

someone had cut it

shorter and the ends are