Shibboleth

Every evening—same thing
Tire swing, earphones in
Halfhearted scrolling
Thinking bout something..

Something like a getaway
Magic trick, great escape
Open sunroof, freeway
Hollywood escapade

Or maybe the opposite
Blending in, perfect fit
Cozy clique, tight-nit
Sleepover gossip

Never say the right thing
On the outside looking in
Wrong wavelength, bad wiring
Too quiet, desperate, too everything

Yesterday you overheard
Girls studying a vocab word
Some sort of Bible myth

A secret code, custom, belief
The lilt of your voice, the way you speak
Shibboleth

Who to spend lunch break with
Casual, not too stiff
Effortless

How to study for this test?
What to say (10 points),
How to dress (5 points),
Shibboleth

Sinking sun, squeaky seesaw
Kids go home, final crows caw
A voice rehearses your every flaw
Your heart heavy, your eyes raw

Leaning on the sliding pole
Spiral down the rabbit hole
Vacant frown, free-fall
Hate yourself, hate it all

Ran away only once
Dad said: ‘cute little stunt’
Mom said: ‘the hell do you want?’
No one else noticed you were gone

Turn the music up some more
Trudge back home, past the corner store
Slip quietly through the front door
Earphones in, unhinged, unmoored

But you’ll get past this high school hell
New college clothes, new stories to tell
First real kiss

No secret codes, custom, beliefs
No eye rolls every time you speak
No shibboleths

Lunch break with best friends
Sarcasm and split-ends
Almost effortless

Study circles, nail-biting tests
Films to discuss (5 stars),
Loves to confess (broken hearts),
Your own shibboleths

How do you tell her
That it will get better?
The emptiness

How do you tell her
They don’t last forever?
Those shibboleths