My grandmother always told me

You don’t belong here

You don’t fit with the rest of us

You don’t look like the rest of us

You don’t sound like the rest of us

I was devastated when

She convinced my mother

To give me away

As a gift to my aunt because

She needed someone

To watch her baby

My aunt always told me

You don’t belong to me

You don’t fit with my children

You don’t look like you’re mine

You don’t sound like you’re mine

I wasn’t surprised then when

She gave me away to my uncle

For reasons I didn’t understand then

But I do now

Re-gifting is ok with things

But not with a child

Never with a child

But when your own mother

Doesn’t want you

It gives permission to

Others to pass up on you