Running

[Mark]

.

I don’t know if it was the talk about school uniforms
and such but I’m reminded of something from long ago

I’m seven years old or so, contained but younger
than the other kids, I was in the state machine
early as I could read and write a little already

at break-time, we have to sit still on these
green benches around a tarmac square
and eat our wax-paper sandwiches

when the teacher says, we are free to go
and play games, the prize is a sandy area
with tar poles for goal posts at each end

and the way it works, upon release
there’s a mad dash through the trees
and over hummocks to claim the ground

so the fastest kid was Big Clive Smith,
he won nearly every time, but the pack
would always chase, hopeful of a stumble  

but he had been sick at home for several days
and the pecking order of speed and territory
was in this turmoil with playground politics

so these kids I knew came and asked me
to run for them, I cared little for soccer
but I proudly agreed to the challenge

I was pretty fast, top four maybe,
but a bookworm all the same, so
I planned out my winning route.

Pow, I was off and running, ahead of the stream,
striving, when – Fat Tony burst from cover ahead –

Cheating! Anger fired me onward but Fat Tony beat
me there, turning to grin, and then I attacked him

I was a combative kid, and I had him by the neck,
all I knew about fighting was to go for the throat

The details blur but it was quickly broken up
and then only I went to the office to get hit

I guess I learned some lessons that day.


 

[indar]

NO FAIR!!! I'm on your side! May the fleas of a thousand camels infest Fat Tony and the evil eye be upon him pssssst.

[Mark]

Ha ha - thanks Linda.

[skylightgreg]

I could read more of this, surely.  Will there be a poetic sequel?

I'm wanting to know how all of these characters evolve, including the main one, of course.

Wonderful write!

[Mark]

Thanks for looking &your kind words, Greg. I dunno about the others anymore but I guess the main character evolved into the shithead I am today.