Becoming Miriam

She said our bodies are temples,started using her mother's

exercise equipment duringour sleepover parties. She quoted Paul

who said: bodily exercise is of use(never quoted the rest of the verse),

ate frozen fruit & Trader Joe's—refused to bring out ice cream.

She kept herself clean-faced & holyin ankle-length denim skirts.

She stopped cutting her hair& dressed in many layers.

She shopped at thrift stores.She got angry at Kate & me

for using Pam instead of olive oilwhen making No Pudge Fudge

brownies. Cried on the trampolineuntil we agreed to olive oil.

She asked me whatit was like, having a boyfriend,

but any time a boy might talkto her, she called that weird.

She said she'd never marry, that Paulsaid it's better—less distracting—to be single.

She always said yes to her mother, stoppedshopping at Hot Topic, became

the model daughter. She wentto church more, talked with her church friends.

She ignored her classmates& refused to go to parties.

For Halloween she dressed likeVirgin Mary in brown & off-white cloaks.

She used to take picturesof trees. She used to think

that everything was interesting,used to not apologize

when she said somethingsilly or strange. She once said

I was the one who inspired herto become a missionary overseas.

She started asking me if I spokein tongues, if I knew I was saved.

She became busy & when I askedif she wanted to visit, she said:

let me ask my mom, & I'd nothear from her again.

She started laughing her mother'sBrooklyn laugh, her old dorky laughsnort,

gone. This is whenshe disappeared for good.