In My Own Backyard

Wed, 06/18/2014 - 18:34 -- tcouch4

Location

This one is true; but I’m sure you’ve heard it before.

The story goes that I was walking in the hallway of my school,

and as I passed through the galleria, I saw a good-sized boy lying on the ground.

People were passing him.

Except of course, for the menace who pushed him down, now senseless.

He was just lying there.

Until I noticed somebody causing a ruckus that was kneeling next to the calm fallen kid.

I later heard that he asked one of the people in front of me ,

If they just so happened to have a gun on school property,

So they could put this thing out of its good-day’s misery.

But just to my luck, as I passed, I witnessed something terrible. I will never forget it.

This boy looked me in the eyes, and tried to get up.

He couldn’t.

He couldn’t get up, and run back to his family and back to where he belonged,

Just like he couldn’t avoid the strike of being beaten badly to the floor.

It’s almost as if it were meant to happen.

None of this is true of course, but I feel like it helps describe what actually happened on that

Typical Monday afternoon.

So I’m sure my dogs didn’t understand why I hugged them a little tighter that day,

And I’m sure that it would’ve made a lot more sense to write about something so tragic

When I actually felt like it, because since the event there has been

a season change, a death, a bomb threat, a war, a discussion about how to factor polynomials,

a rock and roll concert, and a test on kinematics and forces;

And yet I still keep coming back to that worthless deer I saw in the middle of the road that day. 

Comments

Additional Resources

Get AI Feedback on your poem

Interested in feedback on your poem? Try our AI Feedback tool.
 

 

If You Need Support

If you ever need help or support, we trust CrisisTextline.org for people dealing with depression. Text HOME to 741741