About Me

Hi, I'm Harper Lee Simmons. It's pronounced Har-peh, because my dad's from the south. He's a foreign service agent from the US; my mom's a professor from Morocco. I grew up dividing my time between Rabat, Casablanca, and the countryside, with occasional trips to France. (I speak Arabic, French, and, yes, English.) I was born in Morocco but spent my first year or two in the States to get some fancy medical treatments. Mom and I and my brother and sister usually hang out at home while Dad's away on business. I have a younger brother, Will, and a younger sister, Charlotte. Dad named us all after his "heroes of literature": Nelle Harper Lee, William Shakespeare, and Charlotte Bronte. Mom and us kids are Muslim and Dad's a Baptist. He met my mother on an assignment and hasn't been able to get his heart away from Morocco since. Now I'm in the States attending a boarding school. I got detained after a fifty-state whirlwind tour, probably because of my religion. Living at "home" has been difficult to adjust to, but I'm getting there. With some help from my wonderful teacher and new friends, my United States citizenship has become something tangible. Oh, and I'm a poet. Yeah, I might not be your typical American Girl... but I think that's something I can live with.

19 April 2006

I write a sonnet

I couldn't remember how to write a sonnet (BAD HARPER!) so I had to go look it up on a website. I didn't really have any reason to write one until today, when inspiration hit... yes, I'm angry. Angry that she couldn't believe in me when I am leaving her so soon. Angry that I didn't have time to establish trust. Angry that maybe I made a mistake in loving her, though I don't see how it was a risk... I find romances much more risky and this relationship seemed somehow guaranteed.

Who are you?
Strong and silent like the Virgin Mary
Speaking up when it is what’s right
Knowing what is fully necesscary
Don’t ask how I know about the Mother
Muslim raisèd and faith was gainèd here
It’s just somehow you remind me of Her
But lately I find that image tapered
Now you take the path of least resistance
You are not the woman I admired
Have I misjudged somehow your character?
I don’t like at all what I now picture

Gag
This is you before:
Inspiration to all of us.
You showed us what to do,
how to do it,
when to do it,
why to do it,
what mistakes not to make.
You taught us life lessons.
You made sure we didn't go back on our word.
You made sure we learned something
Even if it wasn't the Council of Worms.
You talked to us
You got to know us
You followed our passions and made them yours.

This is you before:
Beautiful
Wonderful
The best teacher in forever
Flawless
Sweet
Kind
Knowing
Caring
Model citizen

This is you now:
You say I'm funny
You don't believe in me
What was once your passion
Is just now a passing interest
For it is too embarassing to show
You kick us out of your room
You tell us it's impossible
You give in too easily
And get mad when we question
You pretend you care
But then call up your husband and talk about yogurt
You don't even try to make conversation
It's like you wanted to get to know us
But now that you do, you regret it
Yet you keep saying you're proud of me

This is you now:
Fake

This is what I want to know:
Why does everything you do
go back on everything you've taught us?
Why are you making me gag?
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