I Read the report

it said I was “ highly gifted”

Are people “ lowly gifted”?

Or “ medium gifted”?

Or just “ gifted”?

It’s possible that all labels are curses

it’s not really a great idea to see people as one thing

Every person has lots of ingredients

to make them into what is always a one-of-a- kind creation

We are all imperfect genetic stews

According to the consultant  the challenge for the parents of someone

“highly gifted” was to find ways

to keep the child engaged and stimulated

But I think she was wrong

Almost anything interests me

I can be engaged by the arc of the water in a sprinkler system

I can look through a microscope for a shockingly long period of time

The challenge for my parents

was going to be to find a friend

who could put up with such a person

All of this leads to the garden

You can find labels to organize living things

but you can’t put people into any kind of group or order

If you could see me you would say that I don’t fit

into an easily identifiable ethnic category