The Space Between Spaces

I am a person who stays in your head when I’m not there because
I am the shield of a hero. Not the frail wooden kind that burns and splinters
but the sturdy metal kind
that stays on your side, used when needed.
I play it safe.
Unlike the sharp sword that cuts everything in its path,
Things are never what they seem with me.
I am the variegation of zebra stripes moving in every direction,
Leading to the open holes in which the intertwined laces lie.
I am the purple in the eye, but not the shimmering glint –

Because I am the space between spaces.

By Rebecca, 7th grade
[Photo by Tarrask via flickr]

This poem is featured as part of the 2009 A Poem A Day campaign, a National Poetry Month celebration by WITS that features a different poem by a WITS student every day during April. Click on the logo to the left to learn more.