which I like

but in art there is no wrong answer

which I love.

A line can be swirly or straight.

A circle can be perfectly round

or turned into an oval.

Math I can do quickly

But art

I do

slowly

on purpose.

After the Terrorist Attack

The FBI officer

makes sure

to knock on all the doors

of the neighbors

before leaving

to ask questions

about any suspicions

they may have.

Does my father’s skin,

beige like the grass

that has died in winter,

make you suspicious?

The voice of my mother

tired of being gentle

is now tight—

Assalamualaikum, Nurah,

Wa-alaikum-as-salaam, Ammi,

How was your day?

Fine.

Hidden words fill the air.

I don’t tell her about Cal

picking on me

in the cafeteria.

I don’t want to worry her.

I have a feeling she worries enough

by the way she peeks in the mirror

and loosens her hijab

ever so slightly,

before she leaves

the house.

Part Seven

Looks

It is important to note

that my skin is

dark

like the heel of oatmeal bread

while Owais’s skin is

light

like the center of oatmeal bread.

We do not look alike

are not recognized

as brother and sister.

Jealousy

Coach Kelly praises Owais

all

the

time.

Owais is always

first.

I am almost always

in the middle.

When Owais wins,

Coach Kelly smiles big.

When I finish in the middle,

Coach Kelly smiles small.

Today, in our race,

I forgot my technique.

50 yards of me

slicing through the water,

my rhythm is off,

my arms and legs thrash

and

I am last.

Behind my goggles,

I can feel the familiar

pricking

of tears.

Why can’t I be more like him?

When will I win?

Owais’s Room

By his mirror

smirks

a

shelf

that

shines.

By his mirror

smirks

a shelf

full of

trophies

and

medals.

By his mirror

I am invisible.

By his mirror

if my insides

were visible

you would see

anger

bubbling

underneath

my skin.

Extra Practice

That is all you need,

reassures Owais,

my Underwater Sibling.

But I am already practicing extra

in the mornings.

Come with me

on the weekend

I’ll show you some pointers,

Owais’s slice of dimple smiles.

He tosses another medal

too easily

onto his shelf.

I shouldn’t have said Yes

while my anger bubbled.

Star Athlete

Coach Kelly smiles

a big smile

to see us at the pool

on the weekend.

He’s my star athlete!

she boasts to

the other coach there.

Owais is tall

has swimmer shoulders

and a swimmer waist

I am small and

don’t have much

of anything.

Coach Kelly doesn’t

see me

or maybe she does

but today

she doesn’t really

see me.

Instead of Pointers

From the very top of the diving board

Owais is diving

high to low

high to low again

a flip here

a flip there

and there is a girl

with pink-painted lips

who looks up

smiles and claps.