when i was little

little enough to fall asleep in papa’s lap

big enough to wake up a little embarrassed

i got scolded for the first time

for talking back.

“you are a child and i am your parent,”

mama said

“and you need to act more like

a girl”

a girl

is what they called me

as they tugged at my once prided pigtails

is what they sneered at me as they told me to be

quiet, is what they laughed at me and

chanted

whispered

yelled

pushed and

i don’t like pushing; so i

stood back far enough to where they could

not reach me.

stood

like a tree in a forest

blending in with the other browns and greens and

stood

a little shorter than the rest because trees

cannot push down they only grow upwards.

but i craved the sun i

wanted the sunlight too

so i went

to the side

on the diagonal

did a little twist

and a turn

and suddenly i had companions

and i became a shelter for some

and i bore fruit