Kim Rodrigues Poet Free verse

Sliding

SLIDING

i slid shy
through childhood
hardly speaking
in kindergarten 
building blocks
painting
sipping milk
eating graham crackers
was there nothing else?

first grade found me
a best friend
chasing each other
around penguins
bowing knees, praying

at some point i hide
behind awful glasses
now i can see too far
the crush two years older
passes the classroom door
and i slide
under the desk

in sixth, they announce our names
me and my brother
we slide to the next city
and to another Catholic school

one more year
before we beg
our parents to leave the parochial border

a little naughty in eighth
as i skate
and skip one class
just a dip, merely a dent

it was my favorite year
loved my history teacher
first time i fell in love
not with the man
with the subject
and i made the honor roll

let me say
when i returned to high school
one year later
I didn’t miss it
didn’t miss the clamor
the steep wind
that moves through the halls

i enjoyed my freedom
to test the waters
then took a sail
as a sailor
finding me a man
of valor,
as we both slid through torrential waters
endured the sanding of our souls
polishing the shy beauty and the beast

our wrinkles secure
anchored down
wisdom entrenched

slippery sliding on the deck
getting wet
raining tears laughing
i don’t need a coat
umbrella or hat

i let happiness slide in

11/29/2018

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Chris Green November 30, 2018 at 10:14 AM What a wonderful poetic journey you have taken me on today Kim. This brought back memories of my school years, some good and some not so good. : ) Kim Rodrigues November 30, 2018 at 2:18 PM Don’t we all have them...good and bad. Be blessed, Chris!

Caren Krutsinger November 29, 2018 at 10:49 PM When I read milk I immediately remembered we all smelled like milk during lunch in those days. I felt myself going through my school years as I read this. Thank you for the memories my friend. Kim Rodrigues November 29, 2018 at 10:55 PM Thank you for the read and comment. So we all smelled like milk ;)