Wednesday, June 6, 2012

through jacksonville and after


arguing about marijuana 
jail time and legalization 
he was fifteen, 
the center and heat,
the brains and the reason
within debate,
but in a jam, 
with the law, 
and he wore a white wrist band 
to prove it;
which commanded
the conductors attention 
as he passed by
before the next station
'do not get off the train' 
he said, 
and the embarrassment 
cast from eyes
were an open
invitation 
to a conversation
worth having. 
and the five other exiting bodies 
created a window 
for me to see deep into your soul 
as you swore time and again, 
attempting to convince us both
you didn’t steal that cell phone,
and i wanted to say i forgave you 
but instead let you believe your acting 
was on par.
but at least when they expelled you from school 
they couldn’t expel you from grace 
and all i hope is that you felt like it was true
in our ten minutes; 
after which you went back to your 
fighting words and hard core 
back turned hat 
and bull shit 
faking of a rebel headliner 
without the hardest years of life 
ahead of you 
and nothing and no 
one behind you. 
but then again maybe 
you had no choice, but to
play that part to make it,
and i’ll give you entertainer 
you had us wall to wall 
enraptured 
by that story of the german 
you met in the city
and the legal drinking age,
what makes law you asked,
and how our laughter 
became belief when you said 
he was the only father 
you really had 
god damnit, 
if i knew a thing or two; 
i might have said more than
peace kid, 
i might have given you my wallet, anything 
and at least told you to make something 
of your mind 
something of your potential, i could have
called your mother in ft. lauderdale
and told her hang up 
the booze 
and enroll you in language class
i could have,
asked for a name, 
to put beneath the face 
of the kid that just may
smoke 
himself broke
and third offense his way 
into a place with metal wrist bands, 
so what makes law? 
in the end, 
it didn't matter 
so much as the laughter,
the commonality
through jacksonville and after 
and you created that, 
i just hope you don't forget it.

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