At Fourteen, My Sister Sailed Away From

Inside The Snow Globe On My Father's Desk, There Was A Penguin Wearing A Red-and-white-striped Scarf. When I Was Little My Father Would Pull Me Into His Lap And Reach For The Snow Globe. He Would Turn It Over, Letting All The Snow Collect On The Top, Then Quickly Invert It. The Two Of Us Watched The Snow Fall Gently Around The Penguin. The Penguin Was Alone In There, I Thought, And I Worried For Him. When I Told My Father This, He Said, "don't Worry, Susie; He Has A Nice Life. He's Trapped In A Perfect World.

Do You Miss Susie?" Because It Was Dark, Because Ruth Was Facing Away From Her,because Ruth Was Almost A Stranger, Lindsey Said What She Felt. "more Than Anyone Will Ever Know.

Sometimes Holly Seemed Like She Wasn't Paying Attention, And Other Times She Was Gone When I Went Looking For Her. That Was When She Went To A Part Of Heaven We Didn't Share. I Missed Her Then, But It Was And Odd Sort Of Missing Because By Then I Knew The Meaning Of Forever. I Could Not Have What I Wanted Most: Mr. Harvey Dead And Me Living. Heaven Wasn't Perfect. But I Came To Believe That If I Watched Closely, And Desired, I Might Change The Lives Of Those I Loved On Earth.

I Would Do Exactly What You Are Doing: I Would Talk To Everyone I Needed To, I Would Not Tell Too Many People His Name. When I Was Sure," She Said, "i Would Find A Quiet Way, And I Would Kill Him.

The Living Deserve Attention, Too