The Different Girl

little tub of sweet wax for her lips, canvas shoes. Since the classroom had been burned, we had less of Robbert, only what had been in the satchel. We wiped ourselves with the handkerchief and hung his shirt, once it was clean, next to Irene’s blue dress, for May to wear whenever they might fit.
    • • •
    The rest of that first day was filled with work we never imagined doing. We gave up living one now after the next, and turned our days to make tomorrow. That was the only way to fix things before rain, cook food before dark, and make sure everyone stayed safe.
    At night we sat in a line on the steps. The stars rolled past above us, bright stitches on a deep dark blanket. Determined to remember everything, we sang.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
    This book began as a libretto for an opera, many years ago. My thanks to Liz Duffy Adams, Michelle Andelman, Shannon Dailey, Madeleine George, Joe on 23rd, Joseph Goodrich, Markus Hoffman, Todd London, Honor Molloy, Suki O’Kane, Julie Strauss-Gabel, Nova Ren Suma, Anne Washburn, Mark Worthington, and Margaret Young.