Wednesday, May 16, 2007

DAY 24- Post for 5/11

This is what happens when you run into a bully from grade school while you are in college. Then you write a poem about it (before you know how).





Class Reunion

As I walk with my wife along
the fruit covered funnel cake signs and
Clak clak clak of the roulette wheel;
candied apples and corn dogs.
I see a man that bears resemblance to someone
I used to know.

The black nylon jacket says Coach and Tom
and yes, it was him,
so I walk up and he grins beneath bushy eyebrows and
Makes monkey noises.
My name for him.

In school when he played every sport and
I weighed a buck fifty with a wet parka on
I would mock him
against better judgment.

He would retaliate—
Throwing me into a stack of
aluminum chairs,
clanging against my laughter.

Our little game,
neither of us winning,
just keeping a constant volley
of repartee and repercussion.

And I don’t think we disliked each other.

Now we reminisce, we laugh,
As we did when I would collide
with metal chairs and linoleum.

Our game, your pride, my acceptance.

So I drop five dollars in the jar for your little league team.

1 comment:

april said...

This has a lot of potential. I'd love to see you rewrite this without actually looking at it while you do.

(also, penguins. write about penguins. i desperately want to see that poem)