I’ve cut off a chicken’s head
and afterward covered it with a bowl
to prevent blood spatter
and the chicken from moving around
I was six when I was kidnapped
Stuck in a small shack in Ethiopia,
Where I didn’t cry tears
but cried out for help
As two grown men held me captive, seeking money
I’ve watched a chicken bring life into this world
On my grandma’s bed, cluttered and twirling
With bottles of perfume and bags,
Cats, a dog, chickens, and even bunnies
They would curl up and rest the day away,
In a bed filled with love and life’s sigh.
I’ve seen my grandma kill a roach with her bare hands
Not showcasing a bit of fear
It’s a daily thing to do.
I’ve seen my grandma’s cat electrocuted,
flies swarmed it for weeks
I’ve watched cows and sheep slaughtered
I’ve danced in the rain and run around
I’ve hopped on different rocks to avoid
having my clean shoes get dirty
I’ve felt my hair soak and water slowly drench
my flowy dress
Glittering a gloomy day with a happy feeling
I’ve cried and laughed in the same minute
I’ve laid, motionless and still,
willed my eyes to remain closed
A stabbing pain invades my mind,
As my mom put an onion in my sock
and a clove of garlic in my ear
Hoping to ease my migraine
I was 12 when I held a squirrel my neighbors caught
and then cried because my cousins said,
What if it had rabies?
I threw away my clothes in fear of sickness
In fear of my cousins’ taunts
and catching the squirrel’s rabies
Life unfolds in unexpected ways
Experiences that have shaped my soul,
From the fear of a kidnapper’s grasp
to the joy of a rainy day,
My memories are the threads that make me whole
Grade: 10
Washington, DC
Rome, Italy
Harry Potter series
Where all people can live fulfilling, happy lives
My mom