twenty five

Snide Remarks

"Goddamn terrorists!"

My parents roll their eyes

And sneer

At the girl wearing a hijab on the tv screen.

"All I'm saying is take what they say with a grain of salt."

They whisper

In the toothpaste aisle of Target

I bite my tongue.

"Why do they show that shooting on the news? It's only a mosque."

The words roll off their tongues as if saying the date

I flinch, hoping they don't notice

And flee as quickly and discreetly as I can.

I mention Islam, and I tense

What is my father's mood?

Will they behave?

Or will I have to hold back my tears again?

I pray at Christmas

And Easter

Please. No politics

I was enjoying this meal.

by me :)

I wrote this for a school project, and my teacher absolutely loved it. I decided to take a chance and post it