HEAD DOWN
Dad discovers
the spare key is missing
and assumes that someone
was watching one day
when I retrieved it
so now until we change the lock
we have another secret hiding place
that I can’t tell or show
anyone
and Cora and I have to always
keep our keys with us
when Cora and I leave for school
Mom and Dad are gulping coffee
waiting for the police
should I stay home? I ask
but they say no, they’ll share
the general details I gave
go on to school Dad says
keep your head up
don’t worry about this
hah!
he doesn’t seem to get
that my head is a target
smacked every day
that keeping your head down
is the way to survive
in the Dragon’s Mouth
at school I go straight
to the teacher’s room
on the ground floor and ask
to speak with Ōshima-sensei
I hand over the dragon paperweight
and tell him Yuki was right
it was at my house and I bow
apologizing for the trouble I’ve caused
Ōshima-sensei frowns
and chews on his lips
as he cradles the dragon
with two hands
he eyes me
shakes his head
like maybe he’s
disappointed
but I don’t know if he’s disappointed
because he thinks I took it
or disappointed because he knows
I’m covering for the person who really took it
upstairs in our classroom
I don’t say anything
don’t look at Gō or Yuki
just keep a blank face
Ōshima-sensei tells the class
that the dragon paperweight was found
and everyone waits to hear more
but he doesn’t say how or where
he wants our attention
on classwork now
the dragon paperweight case
is closed
han six seems puzzled
but I just focus on kanji
then on math
and art
no one hits me
no one bothers me
but tension builds
all day
at the end of school
Ōshima-sensei tells Yuki and Gō
to stay after
then unlike usual, Yōhei
doesn’t walk home
with Ken, Shō, and me
on the way, Ken and Shō analyze
the situation, thinking Yuki and Gō
are the ones responsible
I don’t tell them
I handed in the dragon paperweight
I don’t say I know that Gō
broke into our house
I don’t say I know he did it
with help from my “friends”
but outside my house
I duck my head
tell them
I can’t play soccer today