I have a problem
Age six and relentless
Her name (really)—Fierce.
Fierce is my neighbor
You'd guess she lives by herself—
Pays bill, makes dinner.
Skinny as a weed
Pink Hannah Montana dress
Who names their kid Fierce?
Where are her parents?
Maybe Fierce thinks they're hiding
Behind my front door.
Knocks for ten minutes
She tries to hug the mail man
Comes back to my door
She wants me to play
But I want to paint my toe nails
Read Elle, watch Juno
I feel guilty then—
Mad I'm made to feel guilty!
Do they know she's here?
Whose problem is this?
I want a better world, too
It's my summer break!
Ambushed in my house!
It has to take a village?
She's knocking again!
Posts
A nice interpretation of a photo. And I like the Hillary touch.
ReplyDeleteThank you, though this is all true. Having this six year old stalk me has really made me think about how much of an obligation people have toward other people's children. This little girl literally will knock on my door for twenty minutes at a time, trying to get me to come out and play, without the concept that at my age, I don't really "play outside." A few times I have gone out and chatted with her but then she clings to me and I have a hard time getting away and it ends up just encouraging the knocking. And never once have I seen an adult even peek out the windows to see where she is. What if I wasn't a trustworthy person? Her family has never met me, so basically I'm a stranger.
ReplyDeleteSo anyway, I thought I'd try a more personal post about something that's been on my mind all summer!
I really like this post! It took me until about the sixth stanza to realize it was autobiographical (I kept looking for the link to the news story), but when I made that connection, I liked it even more.
ReplyDeleteCute story, but I don't get the Hillary photo?
ReplyDeleteI was trying to reference her oft-quoted "It takes a village to raise a child" speech. I think she also wrote a book by the same title, but I could be wrong about that.
ReplyDeleteFantastic! What a little character.
ReplyDeleteTerrific! Very creative.
ReplyDeleteWhat a tough situation. I feel sorry for Fierce, but she is not your responsibility. You should not be put in this situation.
ReplyDelete