When I was about three I remember
getting lost and clinging on
to a stranger in a mall
thinking it was my mom
and the lady said she wasn’t my mom
while my brothers stood right there
looking embarrassed for me
and pretending it never happened.
It was about the same time
as when I used to crawl with my hands
around the edge of a swimming pool
overlooked by an elephant made of trumpets
while my brother asked the lifeguard
for a french fry so he threw it
to the bottom of the pool
and my brother went diving after.
This was probably the same year
as the pageant about Indians in which
I nearly refused to participate
but I wound up going regardless
and walked to the wrong side
of the stage where I could see
across the stage a boy was drumming
on his own drum as well as
the one next to him.
Joshua Keiter 