Belated Thank You Note

This seems to fit incredibly well with Shoshana's comment of the previous post, so I'm sharing it now.
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Belated Thank You Note

Why did I always feel so strange,
as if there were something I ought to change,
as if I didn't belong where I was,
that I couldn't do what everyone does?

Because my name was Sarah.

Why did I always feel left out,
wanting to join but ever in doubt?
Nancy and Donna and Cindy and Jane
never seemed to treat me the same

Because my name was Sarah.

What was it that told me I'd been born unawares
in the land of my birth but my fate wasn't theirs?
It wasn't my clothes, it wasn't their stares,
it wasn't that Sarah from Minsk had died.
What was it that bothered, a thorn in my side
and why was I hiding and why had I lied?
What was it that told me that this place, my hometown,
wasn't really my home, wasn't really my town?

My grandmother's name was Sarah.

Why do I thank my parents today?
For giving what constantly gave me away.
In every roll call in every class
I'd stand and feel transparent as glass,
forever the only one in school
whose ancient name broke an unspoken rule.

Why do I send you kisses today?
For the name that wasn't afraid to say:
"I'm different. You know it. Why not just declare
that I'm Jewish. I'm Jewish! My name is Sarah.

By Sarah Shapiro
From Don't You Know It's A Perfect World? (1998)