Ms. Millar

After math class, you took me aside and said,
“You don’t belong here.”
I agreed. But how did you know?

I’d always felt like the outsider –
Too small, too odd, too yellow.
A defective droid.

You said, “You don’t belong here.
You should be in advanced algebra.”

I didn’t believe you.
It took a couple more decades
To see myself as you did –
Special, smart, worthy of notice.

I still suck at math though.

riki panganiban, March 2023