and if you’ve ever tried
to climb a palm tree,
(not even a tree but a grass)
then you know the bones
that break
and the nails
and the feet
and the gritting
of teeth.
under sand
(smothering)
under intense heat
sweat and saltwater
and sunscreen in pores
and between fingers
in mouth
and eyes
and ears
and down into the lungs
with the sand
drown in the air made of
heat, the ocean
depths,
open sea, release,
and sink into the wet towel,
the shady place, the place
under the palm trees.
My little brother Leo is going to be a seventh grader this coming fall. Last night, June 15th, I went with him to his first school dance at the new school he’s entering into. He is awkward, with his orange hair cut short, and his freckled pale face looked paler than usual among all the kids. I sometimes feel like I’m the only person in my family that he feels comfortable with. He’s always fighting with our parents because it’s hard for him to do well in school, and Haley doesn’t have the patience for him. I’m quiet most of the time and I don’t yell at him to go away if he enters a room.
He played p