FIFTH GRADE PHOTO

 

FIFTH GRADE PHOTO

(Copyright 2018 by Dave Kiffer)
 
 
Long before the cancer,
The car crashes,
Or the third marriage
 
There was a girl
In a gingham dress
And a boy in shorts
 
Because he forgot
It was picture day
And stood in back
 
To hide his bony knees
Behind the rank and file,
The anxiety pocked faces
 
He wanted to be next
To the gingham dress
Which smelt of oranges

Because he loved it
Or though he did
In that first flush
 
Even now you can
See his eyes piercing
Between the taller girls
 
At the gingham shoulder
And the blonde girl
Beyond his grasp
 
His optimism endless,
Painting the air with hope,
The future relentlessly bright.

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