We were on welfare
when I was a child--
I went to school
and I stole things,
little things.
Once I stole a baby
leopard figurine
from a diorama
that was from the art project
of a little girl
whom I knew.
My brother stole it from me afterwards,
and kept it in his mouth
as he played videogames
and I cried and cried
and cried for it
until all the spots
were
washed off by
his saliva.



About the author:
K. McDonnell is a writer living and working in New York.

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