Mother went to the Tupperware party
and came back with an air-tight container.
I wasn’t invited. Mother said no children
were allowed. I could have easily dressed
up as an adult and pretended to become
one by speaking in clichés when
original thoughts were required.
Adults were older but not necessarily
smarter. Peter Pan’s “I Won’t Grow Up,’
was my anthem. I recited it under my breath
while the other kids were pledging allegiance
to the flag. If the best grown-up toy adults
could come up with were Tupperware,
then I was looking for a society where
children were valued and had inalienable
rights, like Sweden where I heard it was
against the law to smack kids. I’d have
asked for asylum, but then I’d have
to learn Swedish to live there.
I had enough trouble with English.