This restaurant keeps her pies up front.
In a lit case with shiny glass they polish every two minutes.
It would be impossible to miss them.
The customer gets to see these pies three times.
When you arrive, when you leave, and when you pay.
Many people are leaving with a whole pie.
At six dollars a slice, I shudder to think what this costs them.
Now I know why Declot is sitting up front by the teacher's desk.
I am here daily for lunch duty.
I knew his first name the first ten minutes of my first duty day here.
I use it at least six times in the half hour we spend together.
Most of these twenty-two children do not have names.
I have not needed to know them.
Declot, where are you going? Declot, get back in your seat please.
Declot, you need to put your mask on. Declot, please answer me.
What is he doing now? Sneaking off to try and sit on the floor again.
Where I cannot see him.
The teacher flips the lights on.
"Declot!" She says.
There once was a fellow like me
Designed to make love happily
But there was a vicar
Who said, "You can't liquor
Until you can grow a goatee!"
waiting until someone has gone too far
to say the limit was there
repeats toxic patterns
AP: Honorable Mention 2020
"No matter what part
Of street are on it always
Begins and then ends."
"Your face will be up
Front and back will always be
Somewhere behind you."
"To me I am sure,
It all has been a matter
Of how you see things."
Jim Horn
Will Rogers is my inspiration.
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