14 

Chrissy Ballinger 

Dead Animal 

He was eating eggs and thinking how fish swim, 
flowing smoothly through her veins--

pink salmon. 
Crunch of garbage topping with the clatter of dinnerware. 

Scalloped edges just above bare knees 
grandma's apron bow is tied tight in the back 

but hair dishelveled, carefulness is forgotten, 
the wicks smoke profusely as warm wax splatters 

and water spills softly over the cloth, 
soaking spottd on the crackle carpet. 

Can it hold? ... \Vho cares. 
The draperies sweetly frame the windows 

as a blissful breeze flows through 
carrying the scent of squirrels in the yard, stiff but steaming hot. 

Hybrids: Whe: 

Marhaba! This is the Arabic wor< 
always been a large part of my life an 
world where language plays a major 
Expressing myself and finding my id 
ertheless, after many years of confusi 
ground and heritage, I have come to 

I was born in America, but my p: 
ocean from the Middle East. My hou 
ing environment, but the backbone < 

the Arabic language appears. The na 
spiritual language that has sadly corr 
a language and culture I have learne 
language is English. I am fluent in it 
with - language and culture. My part 
from, but that I also take pride in ID) 

Arab parents I thought much like th 
Arab. As the years passed and I mah 
ethnicity is not pure, but a mix. Livir 
ous for me because I lived solely as ~ 
until I realized something: why not 1 
not fully either, so why not explore a 
hybrid. This uniqueness is not gloric 

L-y-1-a is how I spell my name; l 
Pronunciation is everything when is 
that pronunciation is up to the read• 
on experiences and knowledge. The 
tions: Lila and Layla. "Which pronun 
on your knowledge. Most Americans 
which makes sense based on their u 
\Vhen my father named me, he tried 
making it unique by translating it as 
two languages as best as he could. T 
name are the spellings, Layla and Lt 
represents "ie," which he prono_uncE 
Therefore, I have always had this de 
Since I have grown up with this de:: 
people pronounced my name and I 
of them. Many Americans and ArabE 
shameful or sad, but for me it is just 
it is like to have one "standard" nam 
less. Choosing a name means, esseni 
I belong to both cultures. However, 1 

more. Americans and Arabs now ust 
divided and forcing me to choose th