I STOOD WATCHING THE BIG BOYS

from the Bulldogs’ basketball team,

bouncing, passing, a shot fell

through the hoop and then it

rattled off the rim, as they rebounded,

I began to watch a classic matchup

between the Sixers and the Lakers,

Kareem versus Dr. J, and I had

no sense of time or a watch to tell it.

I had no worries, until I heard the call.

 

My mother screaming my name and

I noticed for the first time that it had

grown dark, I took off running and

never stopped, and as I ran, she chased

after me, I was too quick and elusive,

she never saw me, but kept chasing me.

 

Around and around the block I went,

cold night air filled my lungs and

I reached up to my mouth and

pulled back a hand, a tooth fell from

my palm and I ran on, panting.

She ran on, shouting my name.

 

Another tooth fell from my head.

As I ran, I spit. As I ran, the teeth

came out with chunks of my gums.

She chased after me, never catching me.

When all the teeth fell from my head

and my mouth was a pit soaked with

blood and saliva, I stopped running.

 

I returned to the Morgan’s garage and

the boys had left the basketball game.

My mother had finally found me, but

didn’t have the energy to scold me,

the will to continue chasing after me ,

never again did she call my name,

she lacked the courage to comfort me

and to ask-“What happened to your teeth?”