11-10-00

Dare

Lying on my made bed listening to Orgy's "Revival"

I glance to my left and think of last night,
what was said and, more importantly, what wasn't
I see my ads I cut out from the New York Times
one a backwards smiley
one a little kid in a striped t shirt
careening out of a swing his arms
held out behind him his legs forward

I cut it out because I remember so clearly
jumping out of swings at my grammas place
my brother taunting me "go higher!"
I remember letting go of the swing and the
flash of fear of fractured arms
and the feeling of flying, beingunconnected
always landing and falling and getting up
to do it again til gramma
hung the towel on the hook on the wall outside
next to her kitchen window
and we had to trudge up the huge hill
back to her apartment

on top of the poster
in lowercase letters
it says the word "dare"