Just Me (Poem For Class) Poem by Jennifer Rose

(Huckleberry Finn)
You look at me from across the table
Judging my every movement with hard eyes
I’m not some criminal
Or ruffian off the street
I grew up with the rod
Broken to the point of cowering
No one thought to claim me before
So don’t think it’ll be easy
My pap is gone, hopefully for good
After supper you’ll see me
With dirt under my finger nails before morning
Miss Watson just prays for me to be smarter
Widow for me to get better
I wanna be me, no matter
I only wish to be a kid again
But my pap killed that me long ago
No one knows that I prefer this
Reading and writing are useless
I just wanna be left alone