This Year's Champion, Collaboration With Patricia Creswell
It’s the last of the snow
Spring finally arrived
Time to get ready for battle
Time to get my little hands
On my bag of marbles
Way up there since winter
Abandoned on my bookshelf
A droopy, limp blue velvet bag
But today a long lost friend
So proud, so bold and so bright
Protector of my priceless collection
Glass and steel weapons of rolling destruction
I undo the golden drawstring
Close my eyes and reach into the dark
Cloister of clicking clacking spheres
They run through my fingers
Feeling better than gold through a miser’s hands
Aggies, immies, cats eyes, steelies
and the most dangerous, mibs
Big fat bully marbles capable of
Knocking all of the competition
Johnnie had better watch out this year
Last year’s champ
Johnnie’d been lucky
A shark, wincing his good eye and
Whack, all the marbles dispersed
With brutal force they would fly
Like a big exploding rainbow
Fragments scattered on the ground
Crushing… yet really awesome
When he pulled out his mib
We knew we were done
But this year will be different
This year I’m more determined
Practiced each move in my head
Like a general devising his attack
Spit shined alleys, aggies,
Jumbos, glass ones ready for action
Aggies, my luckiest by far
Leaving for school full of schemes and ploys
On the way defiantly sizing up opponents
Eyeing the size of the enemies’ arsenal
Running fingers through mine
Challenging anyone carrying a loot
We had watched the yard for days
Barely contained our determination
The last of the snow clung stubbornly to school walls
Dry patches would proclaim the official opening day
Our first spring tournament could begin
And today is the day we all know it
Recess rings, doors open; “Hooray”
Is all we hear across the dried yard
As groups knuckle down to play for keepsies
Winners keepers, losers weepers
Hear that chittery clickety click clack melody
Johnnie is there full of snickering confidence
So sure he can perpetuate his reign
But he doesn't know how hard I’ve practiced
How much I want to earn his loot
Crush him and any other rival
Who dares to show off
Ready
Get set
Aim just perfectly right
Written collaboration with PATRICIA CRESSWELL
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
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