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For the
Handicapped Child
Father,
she’s just like all the other kids.
Except
that she has
the longest, reddest hair
in the whole class.
Except
that she got
a real, live German shepherd puppy
for her birthday,
and no one else in the whole class
has a dog like that.
Except
that she can
say all of “The Night Before Christmas”
whenever anybody asks her to,
without ever getting stuck.
Except
that the afternoon sun
slanting in the window
glints on the metal brace
clamped around her leg.
Except
for all that,
she’s just like all the other kids.
From Chalkdust
Prayer Meditations for Teachers
by Elspeth Campbell Murphy @1979 |