and though my head felt heavy,

i played on till dusk

missing flies and pop-ups and grounders

and calling out in desperation things like

“yours” and “take it,” but doing all right,

tugging at my cap in just the right way,

crouching low, my feet set.

“hum baby” sweetly on my lips.

—“how i learned english,”
gregory djanikan

write four to six sentences describing how the events of the poem take him from being an outsider to feeling accepted in his new community.