I pray for medals.

I pray for peace in Pakistan.

I pray for God to give me the world.

Ripe and glistening

a gift

in my palm.

At the masjid, no boys will try to shake my hand.

Here the girls will try to be my friend,

but I will see them looking over my shoulder.

Is Owais looking?

I talk about him just enough

to keep their attention.

Junaid

Owais’s new masjid friend is named Junaid.

After basketball in the parking lot

when the boys are in a circle,

even though a circle has no point,

no leader,

he is the leader.

His laugh the loudest,

his eyes the brightest.

In my mind,

his name bounces

round and round.

Does Owais talk about me at all to him?

I wonder.

Hair

It is too long

and its weight

is bogging me

d

o

w

n.

At the salon,

I point to my chin,

like a girl in a magazine

confident and smooth,

to show the lady

how short I want it to be.

Sweetie,

is your mom here with you?

My head shakes angrily.

No.

Can I talk to her on the phone?

I am tired

of always being treated

like a baby,

but I mumble the number anyway,

a number that I don’t even like

memorizing

because I miss my old number

back home.

I just wanted to make sure

it was okay to cut her hair so short.

She looks so young!

As she cuts and snips,

my anger evaporates.

But when the assistant

sweeps away my hair

smiles at the

silky black Cs

on the floor,

she says

I’m trying to grow my hair out.

Just like how your hair

used to be.

I don’t smile back.

School

I get random

compliments

from random people.

But when Aidan

walks by me in the hallway

he looks looks looks

at me

just me

and says,

Nice hair, Nurah.

I now know the reason

for my haircut.

Stand Out

Coffee break! yells Coach Kelly

whenever she wants to give us

a pep talk.

Remember,

when you’re in the water,

you want to STAND OUT.

Got it?

Stand out.

We nod

and shiver.

Yes,

we will

do our best

to stand out.

Fall Parent Conferences

Needs to participate more

is written under the comments.

She can’t stop talking at home,

Ammi tells Ms. White.

I am tired of being told

I talk too much

or I talk too little.

Ms. White thinks

I talk too little.

Coach Kelly thinks

I talk too much.

Why can’t they just let me

be?

Hi, Nurah!

This is my mom.

This is my dad.

Stahr says to everyone,

eyes gray today

because she’s wearing gray.

Walking proudly

next to her parents.

I do not tell anyone

This is my mom

or this is my dad.

I try to walk a little in front,

sometimes a little behind.

Ammi is the only one

wearing a hijab

(seafoam green at that)

and even though I like the sea,