The Chair

Across the aisle in a wooden desk you sit mixed words from thoughts not spoken exist your long brown hair and short halter top has my attention instead of the lesson

marched cadence in the halls between class roar of chatter fills our heads with noise choked words get garbled and come out all wrong you wince or did you grimace either way you laughed

in the bottom of my stomach are twisted knots caused by your essence that affects me much surely you must feel what it is I am talking about because you ever so slightly nod and grin when I am around

friday night football games and your in the crowd I squeezed in between you and your friends hoping that we might share in some idle talk but you are too involved watching your brother score

later that night in the parking lot walking to our cars I get the nerve and ask you out for pizza and coke you said no. . .but hesitated long enough to make note that some day soon you will be able to go out again

but this night your home taking care of your lil brother who is dying of cancer and may not make it through the night and it was then I knew you never really ignored me after all you just had too much on your mind to see my silly games

you and your family moved after the funeral that fall and I never knew where you went or how you fared but there are times I get the notion and remember the day I first saw you in that chair