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| bouncing in my crib— up! up!—and then through the ceiling into sleep I can't bear it and bloody the bully's nose to champion his victims a kid beating up a smaller kid I jump in to save him— both turn on me in anger for a year every day after school two older bullies tackle me and steal my shoes | left alone I can't wait— the Volkswagon finds reverse and rolls into the street I approach the girl on the playground with a smile and am changed forever when she turns away crawling into hidden spaces under the azaleas I make the neighborhood mine I run—exultant— faster than anyone and cross the line into unhappy adolescence |