Today we are all headed to
Janek’s house.
My father leading the way,
Bella riding on Saul’s shoulders,
and my mother and me behind them.
We don’t talk,
only force our mouths to become
commas lying on their backs
looking up at the sky
to anyone we meet along the way.
We hope our faces say,
this is a day
just like any other day.
Janek comes out to meet us.
My father jumps over the greeting and
gets right to the point.
“We must hide.”
Janek nods.
Herds us off behind his house
to the barn.
It is dark and the dust swarms
like a hive of bees
at even the slightest movement.
The hay is a million needles
pricking us at every opportunity.
From our hiding place, I can hear
Janek’s dog barking, calling me to play.
I am feeling guilty.
I wish I had been more friendly—
Janek will keep our secret,
but his dog has no such loyalty to us.
The barn smells.
“What did you think?” Saul asks.
“It’s a barn,” Bella says,
and buries her nose in our mother’s dress.
“You’ll get used to it,” Father says.
We settle in.
No playing.
No light at night.
No conversations.
I no longer go to school,
and still,
I have mastered a new subject.
I have learned to be invisible.