Having Class with Miss America

Adria Nassim, Bloomington Center student

Look at you in your shiny new flats
And your pretty little dress
With strands of egocentrism
Stitched into each square.

The blatant disregard for anyone
Less fortunate than you drips
Steadily from your full, red lips
Coated in designer gloss.

Never mind the fashion nerds,
Or the geeky kid who sits in the corner
And never says a word.
Never mind the autistic kid
Who fidgets and tries hopelessly to interact.
Watching the group conversations going
On like she’s never seen something so
Fascinating in her life.

Never mind that she sits back
Wistfully watching and admiring
Classroom chatter, thinking that the
Method for maintaining an age appropriate
Friendship must be the second most important
Discovery humankind has ever made.

Never mind that.
You’ve got your friends.
She’s said “hi” and “bye” to you
A few times, but not much else.

You just can’t resist turning to look
At her as she covers her ears and
Begins to rock slowly back and forth
As a fire truck surges down a nearby street.

You leave class that day
Wondering how the hell
A girl like her made it to a
College like this, and thanking
God for social normalcy and
Name brand jeans.