Saturday, April 23, 2011

Different Strokes of Color


I knew a girl with polka dots
I saw her every day
Who could like a girl with spots?
I wish she’d go away.

Everyone like’s stripes you see
My group wore blue and green
We ruled the school with colors bold
All other colors are obscene.

We taunted dots and made her cry
Poked fun at her yellow and purple marks
Other kids joined in our fun
A prank, a laugh, a bit of lark.

Then one day her colors changed
The spots were gray and black
She hung her head when she left the school
She never did come back.

One day I asked a teacher where
The girl with dots had gone
She shook her head, looking at the class
She told us she had withdrawn.

Seems she had left the school one day
She walked along the riverbank
With backpack loaded with some rocks
She walked into the water and sank.

She left a note about how sad she was
That she just didn’t seem to fit
My friends and I just hung our heads
The blame was ours, I must admit.

Each day I walk along those shores
Each year I place a spotted wreath
For a different girl who had her place
Who didn’t deserve the grief.

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