Little Thing Called Life

I had nicknames      and       friends.

 

            But mostly nicknames.

                      Some friends didn’t like me.

          I figured that was fine with me.

                      Some friends liked me.

          I figured that was fine with me too.

                      Some friends liked boys.

                      Some friends liked girls.

 

                                   But all my friends liked more friends.

                       I didn’t have more friends.

 

I thought it was funny at first.

            My nicknames I mean.

Ez   Ezzy     Era    Zra   

 

                        Then they were turned into nasty, hideous remarks.

           Each nickname marks a period

                                    In my life

                       Where, I didn’t think much about friends.

            Or my nicknames, or the ones who gave them to me.

                                    Or the ones who gave me my name.

 

Ezra.

 

                        My parents were quiet.

                       Sometimes

                        They were distant.

                       They got mad

                        They liked kids.

                       Liar

 

I don’t remember the first time it happened

            Only

 

      That it happened.

                        I had a yellow and blue mark

                        On my shoulder.

                        Sara said it would go away

                                      And

                        I got it on the playground.

 

                       I was little, she was big.

                                   I believed her.

 

My family is large

 

            First there was Sara

                                    And then me

                                                And then there was Cali

                       And right after was Jillian

                                   And Danielle

                                               And Gracie

                      And Emily

                                  And Tyler

          And then mommy had enough of us.

 

Daddy didn’t like me.

            He liked Sara.

I don’t remember him liking Cali

            Or Jillian

            Or Danielle

            Or Gracie

            Or Emily

But he liked Tyler.

                        Because Sara said Tyler couldn’t do anything by himself.

                        I believed her.

 

           

                                Sara said Mommy and Daddy were normal.

                                    Ok.

                                Sara said they loved each other.

                                    Ok.

I asked if all Mommies and Daddies were like ours.

            Of course they are, she said.

                        Ok.

 

                      

                       I got another yellow and blue mark

And

                       It hurt to touch it.

                        I didn’t say anything to Sara because I knew it

                                    Was just from the

                       Playground.

            But I also knew

 

                                  

I wasn’t at the playground

            The day I got it.