(excerpt)

SPELLING

by Marisol
Test time, and I cannot spell beak,
climb, speech, November.
It’s the crazy words I remember–
the ones Ms. Mundy gives each week:
grunion, bunion, snooze, physique,
succotash, Zamboni, folderol, flounce–
wacky stuff that is fun to pronounce.
My parents don’t get it.
They think it’s absurd–
how do I get quetzal right,
but still mess up on bird?