POEM - I Soar, Distracted, and then Descend: 1985

I.

I was on top

Skating through school

From the computer lab

To the Journalism class

Doing very little

Getting credit for much more

Being courted by the best schools

That the Tucson valley had to offer

I chose the easy way

Because I really couldn’t see

That I would ever do homework

I hadn’t so far

I didn’t see the trend ending

If I could help it

II.

Summer had more to offer
Including a delay

In the onset of reality

As I jetted to Cali with Burg

Living the beach life in SoCal

Then off to camp to run wild

Interrupted gladly by fireworks

This year featuring the incineration

Of ‘A’ Mountain for a finale

Then off to Flaming Gorge

With Uncle Kim in Peugeot

To run wild and free again

Through the outdoor wonderland

Surrounding my grandparent’s cabin

Never a thought spared

For the trials around the corner

III.

Ah, this is high school

Was not ready for this

At all and in no way

Whatsoever

I think these teachers

Might not succumb to my charm

And might make me do actual work

Don’t they know who I am?

I’m the one the teachers like

That gets to roam free

Flash a smile

And get away with doing almost nothing

By the way

It also doesn’t help

That my desk mate in Earth Science

Is smoking pot

Right in the middle of class

And blowing it out a window

Like it is no big deal

And the teacher never notices

And I am awkward and distracted

And I’m not quite sure

How I’m going to explain

That there are 2 A’s and 4 D’s

On my first report card

Let’s look at the positive

Man! I wasn’t ready for this