Two boys

A sestina poem

Two boys walked past my driveway

One was skinny with glasses

The other, blonde and buff

Good comeback! They yelled over and over

The blonde one saw me and said,  Ignore him, he’s an idiot

That’s not funny! And I think you’re a verbal bully.

 

Was he a bully?

It seemed to me that way

No one is an idiot

Just because skinny with glasses

He probably berates that kid over and over

He thinks he’s better, buff and blonde

 

Not that it’s bad to be buff and blonde

Only if you’re a bully

Over and over

Especially past my driveway,

Across the road, at the boy with glasses

Could be his victim is a genius, not an idiot

 

I felt like an idiot

Yelling at the blonde

But I sympathized with the kid with glasses

Who was skinny and tired of the bully,

Across the street from my driveway.

Who tormented him over and over

 

 He looked back at me over and over

The other was long gone, the one he called an idiot

He stood at his own driveway,

So buff and tanned and blonde

He does not know the future, this bully

His peer may accomplish great things, the one with glasses

 

Not that you’re smart, just cuz of glasses

But I’d like to think that as he crosses over

To adulthood, he can show that bully

That he’s gifted, not an idiot

As he heard it from the blonde

Across from my driveway

 

In twenty years, I’ll think of the boy with glasses across from my driveway

And hope he knows he’s not an idiot, and I’ll hope the bully

Also crosses over to his potential, and doesn’t rely on being a

Handsome blonde.

Author's Note

I wrote this poem eight years ago and had forgotten about it until it came up in my facebook memories this morning. I'd like to think that both boys are doing well.

Reviews

[Fabian G. Franklin]

I was always the "geeky" kid; the one other kids always wanted to copy their papers from. Then came puberty and an interest in girls. I went into my freshman year at High School knowing everything needed to handle bullies. I took Home Economics my freshman year and one of the "jocks" thought he'd wisecrack on me. I just wanted to learn more about cooking, actually. I'm quite the accomplished chef today. (smile) But his tact was, Ha! He thinks he's a girl, taking Home Ec.! I just sort of smiled knowingly and said, Think what you want but I'm one of TWO guys in a classroom with over thirty girls for an hour every day. I'd say that improves my chances of getting to know at least a few of them better. He said, DANG! You really ARE a genius! Bully shut down. Next. These boys in your poem reminded me of some of those awkward teen years and even further back. Like you, I hope they've both grown to understand that all is not always what it seems. I enjoyed the read. F.

[Zoe Richardson]

You assumed much from that encounter. Could be they were best friends, showing affection in the rough way teenage boys do. Having glasses doesn't make you smart, but being blonde and buff doesn't make you a bully. Still, they stuck in your mind, and made you write. That's a good thing, either way!

[Shelley Warner]

Yes, I may have stereotyped them. I've wondered about that.

[Zoe Richardson]

I wouldn't worry too much. A poem is a snapshot of a moment, not a gauge of lifelong judgment. You painted a picture of what you saw. What actually happened is lost to time.

[Shelley Warner]

That's true. Thanks for your thoughts.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I hope they are. Somehow I think Karma comes back to bite.
One of our guys in grade school was a bully....meaner than a snake...He ended up (from what I heard) in a wheel chair...had to be helped around...
and died broken.
Karma.
j.

[Shelley Warner]

Wow, what a humbling ending for that bully. Thank you for reading my poem.

[Chris Shaw]

If adults didn’t intervene,how would children learn about bad behaviour, especially the young bullies of this world. Well done you for speaking out Shelley. You cared for both children and I hope eight years on they are both reaching their full potential. Liked very much how you conveyed the story in sestina format. It worked very well.

Chris

[Shelley Warner]

Thank you Chris, I appreciate your feedback.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Such wise and empathetic words Shelley. You cared for the future of both children and that says so much about you as a human being. Wish everyone in the world had the kind of heart you do. This world would be in a better place than it is now if that were the case. Thank you for sharing this work with us.

[Shelley Warner]

What kind words. Thank you Carlos. I'm glad FB reminded me that I wrote that poem. I had not saved it any where else.