It's Like That Sometimes


It’s Like That Sometimes
by phil
during the entire year of 4th grade, this girl relentlessly reminded me that my face was long and misshapen.
her face wasn’t much to look at either but her comments left me feeling pissed on.
it wasn’t until 10 years later when I saw her again.
it was a glorious day, bright and glorious.
she had become a woman.
she had become this over-used, gangly, crazy eyed woman.
with her was a young child and she was exploding with another.
she looked terrible, she was tired, very tired, bruised, and stretched thin.
the hell that was the last 10 years did her in.
her mouth sat low on her face.
she was broken but kept it together despite it all.
i smiled, not at her, but at the fact that she looked exactly like I felt all those days in the 4th grade.

0 thoughts on “It's Like That Sometimes

  1. ha ha-tc, is that your forth grade class photo?
    this poem is weird. nevertheless i like it. i think we should celebrate victory. although comparing a broken woman with kids to a fourth grader getting picked on is a bit of a stretch-you always wanted to have the last laugh-a very subtle bit of wrath- it’s still fine to step back into those retrospective childhood memories of worthlessness and let your inner child feel a bit of peace. maybe he was speaking from the dark forgotten corners of his mind. i’m sure one day i’ll get there, too.

  2. In fourth grade, I was really into They Might Be Giants. I guess I still am. This poem kind of reminds me of “I Palindrome I” off of the album Apollo 18.

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