"4.19 Of 30: After School"

"After School"

Afternoons perched on the porch.

A torch passed on
by those who have passed on.
The fawn of stories
told in figures
to youth eating snowballs
from drinkers of malt liquor
and connoisseurs of wing plates.

Pitching up with my friends
but no tackling on pavement.
Days paved with
popsicles,
pickles,
marbles and nickels,
hopscotch and double dutch,
sunflower seeds
and quarter water.

The best part?

Watching the sun go down.
Kids frown
as mother calls them in.
There's always one
crawling in the dirt
leaving footprints
on the back of her skirt.
Wash the hymn of his pants,
Warn them about fire ants,
tie their pillow sheet capes
and let them just escape

to do it all over again.

Made friends I'll never forget.
Found my first crush.
Learned how to make a little
seem like very much.
Saw how other kids reacted
when I scraped my knee.
Felt the sting of loneliness
when they moved far away from me.

Found time
to make time
stand still.
Invoked thrill
as chill as water from the hydrant.

Those afternoons were always the most vibrant.

~ Society Of Poets ~

 ~ 30 ~

Written By: Devin Joseph Metz