First Grade

She loved to draw and looked like you,

he read books, she played scientist,

he pretended he was a distance

runner at recess. She took kung fu

lessons with her mom, he chewed

on paper (delicious), she was proud

of her older sister, he  bowed

to the teacher. Everyone laughed. You’d

find her coloring each cloud pink,

she kept a seashell and a penny

in her purse, she wore a dinosaur

print dress with sneakers, he liked to think

there was a castle inside every

dandelion. She rolled on the floor.

She dreamed of spiders, he twirled

his hair, she knew there were faeries,

She danced during math,  he buried

a toy gun, she shared her gum with Mary.

She said love is harder than spelling whisper,

She painted long lines, he threw kisses.