Can I Touch Your Hair?: Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship
Salvation for a race nation or class must come from within A Philip Randolph The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation Bertrand Russell
CONTENTS The Poem Project WRITING PARTNER 4 Shoes SHOPPING WITH DAD 6 Hair STRANDS 8 Church SUNDAY SERVICE 10 BEACH DAY Beach 12 THE ATHLETE Horseback Riding 14 Playground FRESH START 16 GHOST Geography 18 DINNER CONVERSATION Best and Worst 20 FORGIVENESS Apology 22 OFFICER BRASSARD News 24 PUNISHMENT Punishment 26 SLEEPOVER Why Aunt Sarah Doesn't Go Downtown after Dark 28 THE N BOMB Piano Lessons 30 Bedtime Reading AUTHOR VISIT 32 Quiet Time BLOOMING FLOWER 34 DEAR MRS VANDENBERG 36 AUTHORS NOTE 38 ILLUSTRATORS NOTE 39
The Poem Project When our teacher says Pick a partner my body freezes like a ship in ice I want Patty Jean but Madison has already looped arms with her Within seconds you never know what he's going to say Charles is the only one left How many poems someone asks About what Do they have to be true Mrs Vandenberg holds up her hand Write about anything It's not black and white But it is Charles is black and I'm white COSMO Brestobolli le the have
WRITING PARTNER Mrs Vandenberg wants us to write poems Finally an easy project Words fly off my pen onto the paper like writing is my superpower The rest of the time my words are a curse I open my mouth and people run away Now I'm stuck with Irene She hardly says anything Plus she's white Her stringy dishwater blond hair waves back and forth as she stutter steps toward me My stomach bottoms out Hello I say Hi she says surprise myself by smiling at her she smells like a mix of perfume and soap We stare at our sneakers before I ask So what do you want to write about She shrugs I say How about our shoes hair Then we can write about school and church She takes a deep breath Okay I match it Let's start there we 5 de ste she
