little girl born
in a hole in the ground
too deep to climb out
but she can watch through the grate-
all around,
people walk and laugh and talk
about just everything,
but they can’t hear her talk along.
sometimes things fall through
from above her
rings and coins and snippets
of strangers.
she figures out what she can from these
about the world,
of all the things she cannot see.
the only thing in common
is the air she tries to breathe.
she tries to play along
but knows she is too far away,
and below.
and she wonders
if the separation
is truly just distance
and iron bars.



© lj brooks