Eddie and Danny and I
were in the boys' toilets.
Danny opened up
a pack of 5 cigarettes,
and we each took one.
Eddie lit them
with his old man's lighter,
then put the lighter away
in the pocket of his blazer.
Eddie stood by the entrance
peering out in case a perfect
or teacher came along.
Do you think
that is Jones's
real face or a mask?
Danny asked.
Eddie laughed
almost choking
on his cigarette smoke.
War wound,
I guess,
I said,
releasing smoke.
No joke,
you think so,
Danny said.
Maybe some *****
slit his throat,
Eddie surmised,
and he survived.
Keep a look out,
Danny said,
in case.
I guess he could
have been,
Danny agreed.
Jones's scar
went right along
his throat.
We could see it
at assembly
or if he passed us
in school.
Who's going to ask him?
Eddie said.
None of us,
it was agreed.
We dumped
our cigarette butts
in the pan
and peed.
Mar 19, 2018
Mar 19, 2018 at 8:08 AM UTC
Eddie and Danny and I
were in the boys' toilets.
Danny opened up
a pack of 5 cigarettes,
and we each took one.
Eddie lit them
with his old man's lighter,
then put the lighter away
in the pocket of his blazer.
Eddie stood by the entrance
peering out in case a perfect
or teacher came along.
Do you think
that is Jones's
real face or a mask?
Danny asked.
Eddie laughed
almost choking
on his cigarette smoke.
War wound,
I guess,
I said,
releasing smoke.
No joke,
you think so,
Danny said.
Maybe some *****
slit his throat,
Eddie surmised,
and he survived.
Keep a look out,
Danny said,
in case.
I guess he could
have been,
Danny agreed.
Jones's scar
went right along
his throat.
We could see it
at assembly
or if he passed us
in school.
Who's going to ask him?
Eddie said.
None of us,
it was agreed.
We dumped
our cigarette butts
in the pan
and peed.
Request permission to use this poem