1967
Without further ado
Here's how my plan, which strengthened our bond with Jack and Jill
Created change for the better by considering needs, all around:
Each evening the medical student, whose buns had been glued to
The card chair for hours with his head buried in medical books, had
The run of our apartment, while I, though innocent of
Wrong doing, felt imprisoned within a cell, because if I'd
So much as thought to venture beyond my prescribed boundaries then
Guess who'd felt guilty as all get out?
Why? Because I'd glanced through pages, imprinted with
The gargantuan amount of info that Will had need
To stuff into his head before retrieving it on exams, and
I had no clue how he crammed so much in, night after night
Luckily, our bedroom and bathroom shared a common wall
On the other side of the living room wall, which
Conjoined our apartments, sat Jack, each evening, buns glued to
His chair at their dining table, head buried
In law books, while Jill read, watched TV, did her nails and
Rolled her hair in large metal curlers in their bedroom ...
Upon expressing my awareness, concerning
The duality of our existence, which proved
As similar as Siamese twins, Will and I
Approached our friends with this bright idea:
After each couple enjoys one-on-one time at dinner
The guys can study in one apartment for hours while
A pair of imprisoned women, innocent of wrong doing
Feel guilt free while enjoying each other's company in
The other apartment until all four come together to
Watch the nightly news after medical and law texts
Have been placed aside, at which time two couples can enjoy
Our friendship on our king sized mattress for half an hour before
Bidding each other sweet dreams when
It comes time to separate and douse the lights ...
As Jack and Jill love this idea and as their dining set offers
More table room for texts to be spread out as well as
Chairs, which offer more in the way of comfort than
Our borrowed card table set, Jill and I begin to enjoy
The run of my apartment, each night, while
The unbroken silence of serious study feels secured, next door
And thus does it come to pass that while
Chatting freely about this or that
Jill and I have great fun, each evening, performing
Science experiments in my kitchen, ensuring that
My lesson plan for the next day will not
Blow up in my face before my entire fifth grade class, and
In this in this way does a simple plan offer
Four individuals the freedom to eliminate inner conflict, thus
Soothing repressed frustration, suggesting that rather than silently
Building layers of resentment behind
Walls of denial, heartfelt bonds of friendship and
Peace of mind enhanced contentment, all around
Once March roared like a lion and
April cried, May stepped aside, so that
Pretty little June had room to burst into full bloom, and
After pulling all nighters to crush their finals
Does it come to pass that two highly responsible young men
Ready themselves to accept well-earned diplomas, conferring
A medical and law degree upon one or the other, offering
Each one reason to celebrate their
Hard won achievements, after
Graduation ceremonies, at dinner with extended family
Later that evening, we four arrive home
Two by two, eager to rejoice, together, and so
Lying on our king sized mattress ...
Boy-girl-boy-girl, as has become our nightly habit
We watch the nightly news before
Hugging each other good night at our front door, at which time
Jill and I share a quiet smile, knowing how
Lovingly this pair of hard working men had been
Supported, both emotionally and financially, by their wives
BTW: I've been meaning to mention that in the aftermath of
The big snow of '67, our district kept noses of
Students and staff pressed to the grindstone for
An extra week and a half (after most schools, across
The nation, had been released for summer vacation)
In this way did our school district remain in compliance with
Laws, mandating days spent absorbing the 3R's
And though my kids declared our late summer dismissal unfair
I, knowing better, turned their little frowns around by
Initiating a discussion, concerning all the fun we'd each enjoyed
During our stolen moments of pure, unadulterated
Pleasure, which had freed our minds, bodies and
Spirits from daily routine for two whole weeks, and while
Penning this last series of posts, you can imagine
My face wearing the same smile, which had been mine
Each time the nightly news reported
My school closed, day after day, because:
Each time a wondrous memory of an
Extraordinary moment in time emerges from
My memory bank, I feel the same emotion, today, as
Had proved true back then ... And when the memory is
Positive, my spirit sings ... unlike those times
When an unnerving memory causes PTSD to
Shiver down my spine ...
Thank goodness, most of my memories inspire smiles ...
Suggesting that I'm about to invest quite a lot of
Time in telling you stories of moments, which
Are sure to inspire my spirit to smile, day after day ...
And now that today's train of thought has succeeded in
Pulling all aspects of yesteryear's
Momentous, city paralyzing, white out into
Today's rest station, let's reinvest
The most positive aspects of this unexpected
Event within the half full side of my memory bank before
We chug forward toward the next chapter in my life where
A pair of young marrieds ready themselves to bounce
A treasured wee one on their knees until their adorable baby burps ...
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