Nobie says,
“whooo, yo skirt is tight!”

“But it can’t be. I’ve lost
weight.”

“Janet, you crazy. Tight,
mean goot” “Tight mean
you lookin’ fine.”

“OH! I see. I’m going to
remember that.”

Whitney says,
“whooo,dis ham you cooked
is bustin’!”

“It’s busted?!! Who dropped
it?”

“Janet, you crazy. Bustin’
means it tastes yum yum.”

“Janet, when you gon’ let
yo hair grow out so we can
braid it?”

“It’s growing, can’t you see?”

Hand signals and foreign
phrases.
I try to remember.

But it doesn’t matter,
because they get a big
laugh out of me and
we are joined for life.