Being tiny wins you very little in elementary school
Alas
All of the tinies are finally able to rule
In our favorite game of
Hide
And
Seek

We don’t just rule
We thrive 
We nudge our tiny bony bodies 
Behind
Closets
Inside
Garbage Bins
Underneath 
Beds

And once we found our spot 
No matter 
How 
Squished
Hot
Sweaty
Scared 
You were not going anywhere

You were holding your breath when the seeker came in
And lying perfectly still

I pretended I was in a photoshoot where the photographer was a mean French man who would scream with any movement of mine 
It worked well for me 

Others pretended they were on top of cactuses that would sting you with any movement 
Alas, when I tried the “cactus trick,” I could not help but think that my pretending method was oh so superior 

I was the best hider 
Not only because I was the tiniest of all tiny
But I looked forward to the hours of daydreaming I could embark on
I could easily dream of other 
Worlds 
Characters 
Perspectives 
I got lost in my imagination 

But now, as hide and seek has faded, and I am no more the tiniest of the tiny
I work to get stuck in fantasies 
I shed an internal tear of joy when I realize I have lost myself
I shed external gallons of hatred when I find myself 
Alas, I always took the game of hide and seek too seriously