Oct
30
Written by:
host
10/30/2009 7:00 AM
A sixth grade girl, an only child,
living with two parents who are
well-educated and financially secure.
Also in her life are loving grandparents, a doting aunt,
and an uncle, whose family supplies a couple of cousins.
Like a typical 12 year old girl, friends are important to her.
Any opportunity to get together is a good thing,
particularly if it involves a sleepover.
She has her own cell phone, an iPod,
and a closet overflowing with clothing choices.
Her parents make it a priority to attend her soccer games
and her band concerts, clapping loudly just for her.
She visits the library every other week, finding books
and movies to supplement her library at home.
Several times a year her family travels, vacationing
and exploring places they have never been.
A sixth grade girl,
one of eight children
born to a woman
living in another city,
immersed in a culture of drugs.
The girl lives
with her grandma (who yells),
six of her siblings
and two uncles.
An aunt (who yells)
and four cousins
live elsewhere but
frequently visit,
testing the capacity
of grandma’s house.
Like a typical 12 year old girl,
friends are important to her.
She longs for a friend
who would provide escape,
if only temporarily.
Her birthday passes by
with no celebration,
not even cupcakes
to share at school.
She wears the same sweater
Monday through Friday.
Her world does not include
outside activities like soccer,
or parents cheering her on.
She has never been to the library.
Her explorations are limited
to school and her backyard.
These two girls both live in my city.
They live in your city, too, or somewhere nearby.
Two girls in the same community, yet worlds apart.
Also in this community, here am I…
~Sally Hoelscher