Anomaly
It's not like I asked to be an irregularity
I tried to, several times
To embrace my being and learn how to live
With my insecurities and doubts
But no
I can't
All I am is a pale face
In a palette of rusty tones
"You don't look Mexican"
"Are you sure your mother didn't fool around in her youth?"
"Be glad you have white privilege"
Foolish sarcastic remarks
Confounded my thoughts
But the worst one of all was a comment
From an 8 year old boy
He said
"Hey, you seem like..umm...what was the word? Ooh! I know! You're an anomaly!"
I asked where he learned such a word
A new vocabulary word he had learned at school
He continued
"My teacher told me it means that something is strange and odd"
And for no apparent reason
I began to cry
He asked
"Oh what's wrong? I didn't mean to hurt you! Besides, it's not like being an anomaly is bad!"
I chuckled and told him
"Well if it isn't bad, then what is it?"
And he responded with phrases
phrases that slowly healed wounds created over the course of my life
"It means you're rare. Y'know. Like hard to find. Something that people treasure because you're one in a million"
I will never forget what he said
The words that shook me to my core
And assuaged my sentimental being
To that little innocent boy...
I thank you.