sentences around
megabites of chicken
and corn bread,
waiting for
the ax to clobber
me. But Mom never
said a word about the
reason
for the red marks
across my cheek, and
not
only didn’t punish
me, but let me off
GUFN.
Forgiveness
granted, I made some
decisions: appreciate
family, focus on
school and hunt
for Kristina.
I Mostly Managed That
for the next week.
Hit a reasonable
educational stride,
settled into the rhythm
of classrooms, quizzes,
study halls, homework.
Hung out with
Sarah and Trent,
swapped summer