Eye Patch
by
Marjie Giffin
I was a kindergarten pirate
but bagged no bounty.
No swashbuckling for me,
no gold ear bangles.
No red, knotted bandana,
no breech pants or boots.
But my eye patch glistened!
Fabric shimmered with tears.
Name calling hurt,
and it blurred my sight.
Flipped elastic caused pain
to tender scalp and pride.
Far better to be Four Eyes
than a pirate at five.
Far better to sport curls
than a patch over eyes.
Bio: Marjie Giffin is an Indianapolis
resident who writes poetry and nonfiction. She has published four regional
histories as well as recent poems in Poetry Quarterly, The Flying Island, Story
Circle Journal, and a local blog. In her spare time, she is active in workshops
at the Indiana Writers Center and with Story Circle Network.