She raises her hand
stating she doesn't eat pork
and as the same thought runs through my mind
that I too do not
I'm happy she said it first
and as the verbal list of pot luck ideas pass round
I cant help but smile
how similar we are
her in her hijab
me in my Jewish star
Both sitting side by side
learning the same material
in the two classes we share
our upbringings different
and yet vastly the same
we head out the door with the same daily stressors
our different religions visible
but our aspirations the same
and in a world fighting hate daily
how beautiful our mundane interactions become





















