I walk like a palm tree from my apartment to school
I see kids who’ve nothing left to yearn for stare
Through the tinted windows of fancy cars
A loving parent with a disposable coffee cup waves at drop off
I walk like a dream from the parking lot to the door
I see kids who have friends from kindergarten giggle
With hands covering their mouths as they talk about me
A boy or a girl with half a heart shushes a crowd sometimes
I wait like spring deep inside the trunk of bare oaks
Scattered throughout the small town still new, never a home
I wait for a friend who will never sit at the lunch table
My mother who will come home when I am already asleep
I breathe like a hurricane downgraded to a breeze
And wait for the smooth floor of the gym for
One basketball hoop, one pair of worn-out sneakers
And one coach, the only one who sees, what I could be
Question
In line 13, what does the poet mean when she says, “like a hurricane downgraded to a breeze”?
Responses
A The speaker is in need of attention and care.The speaker is in need of attention and care.
B The speaker is holding in strong emotions.The speaker is holding in strong emotions.
C The speaker is dissatisfied with the school setting.The speaker is dissatisfied with the school setting.
D The speaker is in disbelief about her abilities