Your Daily Poem: Megan Falley

Ed. note: For National Poetry Month, we’re highlighting one feminist poem each day in April. See the whole series here.

Your daily poem is from Megan Falley.

THE WORST THING I EVER TAUGHT MY GIRL

When my daughter came home from school, sorrow shrill
as a recess bell, her story hop-scotching through hiccups
to tell me that Bobby keeps yanking her pigtails
like two ends of a jump rope, calling her
Stupid so often she swears he thinks it’s her name—
I cupped her cheeks, shivering like the heart of a snowman,
and said My baby, my beautiful girl, don’t you know? He’s trying
to get your attention. It probably means that he likes you.

Syreeta McFadden is a co-curator of Poets In Unexpected Places.