poem26 Jul 2020 06:35 pm
The Way is Long and Fraught with Perils
Beth Cato
the girl slips like a shadow through the cacophonous mob along hallways where the carpet is worn too thin to absorb screams hurry, hurry, hurry she needs to get home she must find out what happens next she flees through the gate takes a shortcut across the yellowed lawn even as a distant teacher howls, "use the sidewalk!" there is no time for sidewalks today she dashes along the dry canal already host to upper-grade trolls that reek like the perfume gauntlet at the mall, only tinged with cigarette smoke they jeer the girl as they inhale toxic fumes and drink diet cola from a shared 2-liter bottle the sole of her right shoe flaps as she gallops down the dirt trail through the eucalyptus tree windbreak to find civilization and sidewalks again the corner house is guarded by a Chihuahua possessed by Cerberus who every day yaps as he charges pursuit while the old woman on the porch calls "he don't bite!" (he does) the girl sprints across the apartment courtyard with a hello wave to the unperturbed pigeons that congregate at the bird bath filled with beer bottles and trash her shoe farts with every stride as she bounces up the stairs she unlocks the door with ninja stealth mom sleeps on the couch phone on her chest, pills on the table same as when the girl left for school in her bedroom, the girl greets her stuffed animal army by name as she flings down her laden backpack without bothering to take off her shoes she picks up the paperback that has left her in dreadful suspense all day long will the princess save the dragon? and kill that awful knight? he so needs killing! maybe just maybe she can make it through the next chapter before mom bellows for supper in the meantime she wears both a crown and a sword
