Sitting Indian Style

3

Sitting-Indian-Style

Sitting Indian Style

A porch in the front –
near roses,
near metal milk crates

above colored slate
from Vermont –
is where a child sits
Indian Style,

on top of pieces of uneven
wood – 
warped wood – paint
peeling – a dull

shade of gray
A porch where two
doors – lead to
two families living

in a city – on a corner
lot – a city filled
with children who
played in streets and alleyways

As a child watched
from her front porch – she
would smile if a friend

walked by –
sitting
Indian Style – her Aunt
told her,
“That just isn’t ladylike.”

She smiled at her Aunt, and
smiled at a friend who never
smiled back – and the next time she
smiled, and the next –

never did she glance her way –
Her mother told her,
“find another friend,
friends don’t ignore a friend.”

Ignore, what is ignore?
A big word when all
they taught us in school was
“See Jack run, run Jack run.”

But, soon, a little girl would hide near
her house – near a green bush-covered

with red beans, they once shared – now

out of sight until she walked by 
the porch –
scuffing her feet across cracked
cement – looking straight ahead.

Her legs crossed, she sat 
Indian Style
picking at pieces of wood –

she sucked on a sliver

a smile on her face fades, and
a stray tear rolled down her- right cheek
caught at the edge of her lip
on the right – she smiled as
teardrops fell, scooting her body

to the right, without
standing – to the right
toward a metal milk

box – then, she opened the lid,  
inside a milk box her

paper dolls were waiting –
It was then she knew
her friends – they smiled back.

3 Comments
  1. Avatar of Andrew J. Sacks
    Andrew J. Sacks says

    Thank you for fine and memorable poem, Nancy.

  2. Avatar of Gabriel Constans
    Gabriel Constans says

    Great insight and powerful images Nancy.

  3. Avatar of Nancy Duci Denofio
    Nancy Duci Denofio says

    I love to drift back to another time, write about it, and then dream. I told myself, “I can dream anywhere, and the words will come.” I am so pleased both you Andrew and Gabriel, enjoyed this piece, it’s non fiction, as most of my work. Thank you so much. Sincerely, Nancy

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