recovering notes from the deep, part 24

november 22, 1963

it was all uphill on brighton road

coming out of my buena vista basement door

and columbia place alleyway

running to beat the homeroom bell

long strides until i hit

the stone monument showroom

and then a final sprint

past the graveyard

and in thru the steel doors

of not a mausoleum

but close to it

     oliver high school

there were always a couple of stragglers

still smoking in the 'tunnel'

but i kept my distance

unless it suddenly became

smoke rings of the mind

or a tambourine

     (in time)

from homeroom to social studies

and world history i could coast

coming of age in the way that i did

finally on to band class

my clarinet always needing a new reed

i listened closely to the sax and trombone

and baritone and trumpet soloing

before class began

     these guys were from manchester

     & really knew how to jam it

near the end of the class

the music teacher brought

all of us into a circle

and announced that the president

had been shot dead in dallas

and that our tribute to him

might be the instrument in our hands

     & music we create

--- e b bortz