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35 The Child Born with a caul the child who eats the skin that forms on scalded milk the child who bites cuticles instead of fingernails the child who sucks her hair at night the child who sings in her sleep the child who does not mind the squeak of blackboard chalk the child who swallowed a blue bead the child who will not throw up the child who refuses to listen the child with the gristle knob at the arch of her ribs the child who knows where the matches are the child who looks too long at her father the child who likes to spit the child who looks in the eyes of the dog the child who sits for hours the child who sometimes laughs when she’s by herself the child whose cold hands the child who eats clay the child who can look cross-eyed the child who starts fires the child who hides in a chinaberry tree the child who listens the child who grows quieter and quieter the child who can be trusted with knives and scissors the child who never reaches under her bed the child who goes where no one is the child who cuts things out the child who hums little songs no one can recognize ...

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