Poem of the Day

We Can't Even Think of a Word That Rhymes
--thanks to James for the idea

My brother and I ran home
to crank the KEG as loud
as our blood demanded.

Calling the DJ to beg
for Alice Cooper--
the only one to understand
this revolt in our chests,

this euphoria explained
with those triplets pounding
through the final call:
"School's out completely!"

We needed something
to blow out this rage,
this tattered thrill
of closure and uncertainty.
We had no bongs, no girls,
no cars, no magazines to help.

Two weeks later, we'd growl
around the house searching
for anything to kill the sugared
days of summer, the drag
of the sun, the stunted
grass in the back yard--
the damnable endless days.

But for those few minutes
we forgot the torpor
on summer's horizon.

We danced around the couch
blood crashing in our veins,
fists in the air screaming,
"school's out for summer!
school's out forever!"