I met him when I was twelve.
\nThe troops were just back from Europe.
\nSome of them were still wearing their
\nuniforms and refighting the action
\nevery Saturday afternoon
\non the screen at the Roxy.<\/p>\n
Picture a sunny spring day:
\nfor some unknown reason
\nI had an urge to see Carol,
\na slender blonde of similar age
\nabout whom I had been dreaming
\nin a somewhat personal way.<\/p>\n
With more guts than brains,
\nand no plan of operations,
\nI asked her out for a walk.
\nFound myself walking beside
\nthis goddess, babbling
\ngaily about nothing at all,<\/p>\n
and was almost sealing my doom
\nas a total idiot
\nwhen our way on the
\nrailed wooden sidewalk was barred
\nby a tall teenager wearing sunglasses
\ndungarees, a leather jacket,
\nhis gloved fists holding either an air rifle
\nor a twenty-two pointed at us.<\/p>\n
This was my chance
\nto take a bullet for her
\nand sear my way into
\nher dreams forever.<\/p>\n
Instead, I held her hand and
\nkeeping her behind me,
\nstepped around him
\nand continued on.<\/p>\n
I still see the sunglasses
\nnights when I have nothing
\nbetter to do
\nwhen I need a little jolt
\nmy brain projects my reflection
\nonto those black surfaces
\nin front of the pale leering face.<\/p>\n
Maybe he got the war he needed
\nwent to Korea a few years later:
\ngot to smoke the cigarettes
\nhaul the ammo, hurry up and wait
\nwith the rest of his platoon
\nI sure hope so<\/p>\n
All that intensity was wasted in our little town.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I met him when I was twelve. The troops were just back from Europe. Some of them were still wearing their uniforms and refighting the action every Saturday afternoon on the screen at the Roxy. Picture a sunny spring day: … Continue reading