by Kevin Drake
Sitting on a swing set, looking at children play.
Ghost shadows dance across the field of a light
ray.
Cold and heavy my lungs fill with the cry and
tears of
haunted evaporings.
Not quiet solid, but you know its there.
Not written down but plain and fair.
I know my mind leaps and bounds,
but on this swing set I sit, watching her dance
around.
Sara looked at me and smiled. “I like you.”
I ignored her; girls are ugly and stupid. They don’t do anything, and then if you try to get them to climb a tree or roll down the hill, they just call you stupid and walk away. Now Sara likes me, but I don’t know why.
“See him,” Sara asked, pointing to the adult stranger on the swing set.
I nodded, not really paying attention to her, cause
I’m playing hid and go seek with Billy and Daemon.
“He’s a ghost.”
“He is not,” I whispered.
“Uh-hu. He is too. He just sits there. My older sister says he gonna eat one of us. And only ghosts do that.”
“How do you know that?” I ducked down into the ditch, I think I heard Daemon run by, he’s it. “Go away your gonna get me caught.”
“My older sister told me.”
“How does she know?”
“She reads about it in this book by Dr. King.”
“Who is that?” I hate Sara.
“A doctor, stupid. I don’t think I like you. You’re not smart, you probably don’t read.”
“I don’t have to read, I have a computer at home.”
“I’m leaving.” Sara walked away and looked around. “He’s over here,” she hollered.
I started running from my hiding place, I darted for the picnic tables, the safe place, but as soon as I got past the tower, Daemon jumped out off the ledge and ran after me. And like that he tagged me.
“You’re it!” He smiled and pushed me; I fell to the ground. “Ollie Ollie oxen-free!” Billy dashed up to us.
“Calvin is it. Go over to the picnic tables and count to fifty and then come get us.” Billy and Daemon ran off into the playground. I went to the tables.
Sara was there, playing with some rocks, building
a pile.
“I’m gonna get you Sara. You’re so stupid.
You got me it.”
“That’s because you’re the stupid one. I told them where you were. If you were smart you would have found a new place. Stupid people will always be it.”
“I hate being it.”
“Then don’t be stupid. You need to get smarter. You gotta read.”
“I told you, I have a computer. That’s what makes me smart.” I wish she would go away.
“You just play silly games on it.” Sara held a stone up to inspect it.
“They are not silly.”
“You always play that one game, with the gun and the monsters. Its stupid.”
“I have to count to fifty.”
“Don’t hurt yourself.” She knocked the pile of rock over and started to rebuild it.
“Shut up!”
I put my head down and started to count to fifty. I just tried to think of where they might hide. We’ve played this game so much, I know all the hiding places here.
“Do you say ‘Mississippi’ after each number?”
“No.” She never bugs anyone but me. Like I’m her only friend.
“What do you think about?”
“Nothing.”
“Surprise there,” she giggled.
“Go away!”
“You know what?”
“...fifteen, sixteen, seventeen....”
“That ghost-”
“He’s not a ghost. He’s real. People see him.”
“He’s sad.”
“So? Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one....”
“He lost his daughter. A little girl, about my age, hear at this place.” She sounded kinda sad.
“Did she get lost or something?”
“No I mean she died.”
“What? You’re acting stupid. No one dies on a playground.”
“No I’m not.” She threw a pebble at my head, and it stung. I stood up to hit her, and she threw another one, a big one, at my leg.”
“Ouch! Ouch!” was all I could say. I pulled up my pant leg to see. There was a little scratch, but I could see a bright red spot. I let go of a tear it hurt so much. But I tried not to show it.
“It is true. You’re stupid and mean. It’s so sad that she died here.”
“You hit me with that rock. I’m gonna get you.” I balled up my fist.
“Stop it. I’m sorry, but that was really mean.”
“You act like you know that guy. I mean all he does is sit there, and he doesn’t do anything. I mean no one wants to go near him, but you. And he doesn’t even look at you, as if you’re not there.”
“Her mommy came here and killed his daughter, hunted her. And then she shot herself right there at the swing set, and he died there too, he’s a ghost, creepy and spooky.”
“I have to find Billy and Daemon.” She was
being weird again. Every time I’m here and she’s here she tells me
the same thing.
“Its true.”
“Fifty! Ready or not here I come!”
And I took off, and searched the towers first. Normally everyone goes there to hide first because it’s the last place to look. But they weren’t there. Then I checked under the bridge, and didn’t find them. I crossed over to the ditch and they weren’t there. I then looked across the playground, and saw them running down the road back home.
“No fair you two, I win!”
“We gotta go home Calvin, its dinner! You’re it tomorrow!” They just kept running, laughing: I think at me.
My leg felt really soar now, and I looked at it again. There was a big bump on it. I really hated Sara. I looked around for a big rock. I saw one at the edge of the road, the size of my hand. I walked to the picnic tables, and held it to my back, so she couldn’t see it, but she wasn’t there, just her rocks in a pile. So I look around the playground; the monkey bars, the slide, the hobbyhorses, the swing set, and she wasn’t anywhere. And the guy, he was gone too. He must have just left, cause the swing was swinging a bit. Then a streetlight came on and the curfew siren went off. I dropped my rock and went home.
Street light, clock tower.
Make believe on schedule.
Time to immerse the self in glowing boxes and
eye
commanding hand games.
No time to talk,
No time to think,
Keep it occupied.
Keep it simplified.
Keep the info on the D-L,
Never mind the think freak.