High School Reunion

 

High School Reunion

 

i
The 737 lifts
with my thoughts:

When we drove to the mall
in my first car
Up, windows shaking.
I picked cherries with you in the yard.

I blink, stow the invitation under my seat
cannot control the speed of a plane towards Chicago.

 

ii
In mother’s house I put on my suit.
She smiles far away and
I think we think the same thing:
In Prom, this young son is years again
is seventeen
and you at my door,
we are lush and hoping.
You said dancing is controlling time.
I look out the window at the tree.
Smaller.

 

iii
I pick up a small white card with my name
I am a small white card.
I stow my heart under the tablecloth.

The gymnasium was bigger than this.
Wasn’t it?

 

iv
You.
A small white card
I came to Chicago

Do you remember the cherry tree?
“Um what?”

And the branches sheared off.
Over the neighbor's yard

“Remind me of your name again?”
An arm sheared off.
I am amputated from you.

 

v
Halfway through the salad you say
“Yes they tore down that mall years ago.”
And the tree?
Are we dancing? I cannot tell.
My first car in a junkyard somewhere but I came to Chicago.

 

vi
“This song?”
I look up, yes I remember
It was seventeen
we were

 

vii
I am dancing
In the light of one thousand games
Maybe half lost.
but we screamed anyway
Go vikings

“Do you remember?”
Easier now.

I eat cherry pie from a cup.
Not quite the same but

“Hey do you know what this reminds me of?”
I wipe the red from my lips and think
maybe we are re-unioned.

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