Jocelyn and the ballerina

I love my ballerina.
Every day my mom says,
"Jocelyn,u're not wearing that old rag again
are u?"

I pretend I do not hear.My ballerina hugs my legs to keep them warm.

When I dance up to the sky,the skirt twirls

'round and 'round  and pushes me higher,higher.When I go to sleep,
I shout,"Don't u dare
put my ballerina down
the laundry."

I hang it on my bedpost
so I can see it
all night long.But something happens!

Every morning,I find my ballerina
hiding under a pile of drity cloths."TA-DA"I say at breakfast time and I do
an extra special twirl.

"Oh,Jocelyn,"my mom says,
"your ballerina smells.The white has truned to gray.
It needs to be washed."

But I do not listen.My mom doesn't know anything
about ballerinas."Your ballerina is too short.
It's higher than your socks.
U have holes in the knees."

"U are right,Mom,"I say
"But I have a good idea."

I turn the ballerina inside and out and back to front.
"TA-DA!"

I can do tricks with my ballerina. One day my mom says to me ,"Jocelyn, u're going
to be a flower girl in Aunt Judy's wedding.I bought u
a special,brand new dress.
TA-DA!"

"It is not a ballerina,"I say.

"I know dear,but it's pink."
U like pink."

"There are no  leggings."
It will not keep me warm."

"I know,dear.But it's summertime,"
says my mom.

"The skirt is not attached."

"I know dear ,but it is very
pretty.I'll just hang it here
on the other bedpost and
u can it all night
long." When I wake up,I am grumpy.
“How do u expect me to sleep
With that pink thing
Flashing in my eyes?”

“Maybe if u tried it on,
dear, u might like it.”

I pretend I do not hear. I listen to my mom on the phone.

“We’ve been looking at the ballerina every day
for six months and I’m sick of it.
If she doesn’t wear her new dress to the wedding,
I’ll throw the ballerina in the garbage.” That night I put on the pink.

I put it on the floor
and step in the middle
and pull it up.

It is lace and it is scratchy
and there are no
twirls in it. I walk down the stairs.


“Oh my,Jocelyn!U look pretty,”
says my mom

I do not look up. On the day of the wedding
it is cold.

“Mom-I think it will snow.”

“Jocelyn,it is July.”

“But, mom the lace is scratchy.”

“Jocelyn!”

I wear pink
to Aunt Judy’s wedding. When my mom goes to sit in the church,
I open my purse.

I pull out my ballerina and put it on
under the pink.

You can hardly even see the blue stripes right through.
I roll up the legs so they don’t hang down.

Aunt Judy does not know.
Mom does not know.
Just me. I am the flower girl
so I am first.

The organ is grand
and I am a princess.

I hold my head up high,
and my flowers up high,
and slowly,slowly,
I step out.

Left foot.

Right foot.

Left foot.

TA-DA! Slowly,
Slowly
my ballerina
sneaks down my leg.

TA-DA

I can hold my flowers
in one hand and pull up
my ballerina with the
other hand and walk,

slowly,

slowly. I see my mom.
Her hand is over her mouth.

Aunt Judy is very happy.
She is laughing.

Silly Aunt Judy laughs so hard
she drops her flowers.

So I bend down
And pick them up for her. Aunt Judy thanks me. The minister wipes his face
with his handkerchief and then thanks me.

I do curtsy at the front of the church.

TA-DA!!!

My ballerina makes the best curtsies.

It is a good thing I wore it. I love my ballerina.

I am going to wear it to bed.

I am going to wear it to my own wedding.

I am going it wear my ballerina

forever.