SLICKER THAN I HE WAS....

HE KNEW THE GAME,

TRACKING ME DOWN BY THE ODORS ON MY FEET...

DOWN THE SIDEWALK AND UP THE STEPS.

KNOCK, KNOCK!

WHO'S THERE?

OH SHOOT,

IT'S YOUR POPS!

WOW,

I'M STANDING AT THE DOOR PORTRAYING

THE POSSIBILITIES OF IGNORANCE...

WHILE GATHERING MY BELONGINGS,

NO ONE UTTERED A WORD,

AND JUDGING MY FATHER'S VIGILANTE LOOK,

ME, MYSELF AND I, DARE NOT...

 I JUST DRAGGED MY

HEART

AND RELEASED THE ODORS ON MY FEET...

MY FEET SEEMED DISTANT

WHILE I CREPT SLOWLY TO

THE CAR

AND INSIGHT THE CAR WAS, BUT SO VERY FAR...

HOW COULD I EVER HOLD MY HEAD UP HIGH AND

SURELY,

THIS BOY WOULD NEVER HAVE THE NERVE

TO EVER SPIT A WORD OUT AT ME AGAIN...

OH WELL, I'LL NEVER HAVE THE NERVE, EITHER!

FEELING AS IF MY LIFE WAS IN A DITCH,

I FELT THE DRUM RUMBLE AND KNEW THIS HERE LIFE

 WAS OVER...

LIKE A LOUD SPEAKER OF WORDS WITH THE WORDS

 BURSTING IN FLAMES,

MY IMAGINATION TOOK CONTROL OVER ME,

 TELLING ME,

I KNOW HE'S GOING TO KILL ME,

BUT WHEN!

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE...

IT’S BEEN THREE DAYS,

AND HE'S KILLING ME WITH SILENCE,

MAKING ME WONDER,

WHEN WHERE AND HOW...

REPEATING IN MY MIND,

I JUST KNOW I'LL NEVER SPEAK AGAIN...

BUT, I DID

AND I SPOKE SILENTLY TO MY FATHER

AND HE KNEW THE ODORS ON THESE FEET

WOULD NEVER,

 EVER,

EVER EVER,

  TRY AND OUT SLICK, MR. SLICK...

SHOOT,

HE USED TO BE MY AGE TOO!

2002 All Rights Reserved, Rosalyn R Walker