My Sister's Sandals

Look at that big world way out there,
eyes only three  just sit and stare,
Oh, how I want to go outside of this door,
to see that big world that's mine to explore!

" You're much too young,"   mother would say, 
"to go outside alone and play".
And then to add to my bad news,
she takes away my only shoes.

But my sister's sandals are still there,
Should I take them? Do I dare?
I do, and suddenly I am free,
just as happy as can be!

My journey now I can complete,
with sister's shoes upon my feet.
The sand burrs in the alley way,
would not stop me, no not today!

Then like a  big, exploding bomb,
my sister calls out to our mom,
that I have stolen what was hers,
to walk across those sharpened burrs.

Mother's angry, I could tell,
she sees me and begins to yell,
"Take your sister's shoes off now! 
And get back here, I don't care how!"

I'm so scared, but this I do,
I take off one, then the other shoe.
My sister takes them both away,
and now I have a price to pay.

Our mother shrieks, "Get over here!"
I cry from pain and I cry from fear,
as burrs pierce through my tender  skin,
I beg my mom to make it end.

As I am crying, "Mommy, please!"
I fall down on my hands and knees,
but still she's screaming with that voice,
so I crawl through burrs, I have no choice.

She reaches down and grabs my hair,
and beats me while the neighbors stare,
She hits my face repeatedly,
while she says these words to me,

"I'll teach you not to cause me grief!
I'll teach you not to be a thief!"
I used to want to go explore-
but I don't want to anymore.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2008

Poem

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Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace