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.

28 July 2006

Sam's poem

Hi Harper,
It's me, Sam. I'm glad you are finally here. Look, I know things are crazy between you and me and Piper and Linsi but I really want everything to work out.
Oh, and sorry I'm posting on your blog, but I thought I'd try my hand at poetry.
~Sam

"Growing Up and Growing Apart"
yesterday
you were asking when
my tryouts would be
will you be there to cheer me on
and even if you're gone
i'd know you're thinking of me

today
you want to know how soon,
how fast,
your crown can get here
so we can crown you queen of the world
and you can forget about your minions like me.

best friends?
not so,
not when you refuse to acknowledge me,
or don't respect my feelings,
or never listen.
i hope it can change.