Once, at the store, I was wandering

And from behind a rack of clothes popped

like a Jack-in-the-Box

a little girl with tiny gold earringsand pink plastic shoes

and a little pink outfit

and a little pink mouth that said “Boo!”

and I jumped because she was there

and she jumped because I was there

and then she ran away, yelling “Mama!”

her little pink plastic shoes

beating rhythm on the floor.