End-of-Year Staff Meeting

...and why I feel like I don't belong in the United States.

Photo by Waseem Khan on Unsplash

My feet are planted in a pot, 
chock full of unfamiliar soil,
& every breath is harder to grasp
when sun cowers behind overcast sky,
because my roots can’t break through
the red clay vessels fast enough.

This soil prohibits my growth—
it doesn’t fight off bullets 
& blood & bandanas for body bags.

The walls of this scho…