Hey mom, I wrote this poem today in like 10 minutes during class. My teacher made me read it out loud. I don't really say much in class, so when I read it she was really shocked. She said it was really good & she couldn't believe I wrote it just then. She told other teachers about it & everything. It's about my sisters.

I couldn't sleep last night
I'm on the lip of an ocean
Surrounded by hair beads and glitter stickers
Tears of joy raid the ocean but the tide fades away
I'm the oldest on the island but also the youngest
These are future reflections
I take a handful of beads and say, "Maybe you should give me one more stab at it."
Only cassettes can rewind.

"Hey brother I need help with my homework."
I finish it completely.
The silly drawings & perfect letter 'A's became my Mona Lisa.
I bake cookies & make sandwiches
I give baths & help brush teeth
"Nah, I don't want to play football, she wants to learn how to ride her bike."
There are no more time limits for going outside.

The hair beads slipped through my fingers before I could even finish
My eyes became the ocean
I went to the ladybugs, they couldn't give me any answers
I walked into the ocean going deeper & deeper with every step
Maybe the mermaids can help me