He stared at me with a look that struggled to seem
Indifferent, yet wanted me to notice.
“Aren’t you a clever boy.” He said.
The words crawled up from deep inside of him and
dripped from his lips like vinegar.
I could see a smile in his eyes through
his emanating disdain for me.
His hatred was giving him joy like the others said it would.
I was a different species to him.
I was small, like a bird.
Or a bug he longed to crush.
All I could do was breathe, smile, and say to myself,
“Look at this clown.”