Lost and Found

Jerry Reynolds

 

As Seth turned the corner,
one of the colored boys
under the street lamp called out.
“Wait up I’ll go down with,”
Seth slowed up, out of nowhere there was Frank,
they slapped fingers and smacked hands.
Seth thought, “Frank got some wolf in him,”
had that ability to be there all at once.
“Where you off to this late,” Frank asked
“Sneaking to meet Becky Shelton,
she’s gotten awful cute this summer don’t you think?”
“I have to steer clear of noticing white girls,”
Frank reminded.
They could see Becky’s silhouette against the moon
on the porch upstairs. “Why you sneaking?”
“Ain’t my choice, Becky’s dad wants her
to be in her wedding bed all pure and all
and she’s tired of waiting.”
“Want to play some half-court at Stonewall tomorrow?”
Frank asked. Seth agreed, “Has to be in the morning though,
picking pears after lunch,” smacking hands again
Seth watched as Frank sank into the night towards home.
Frank thought, “Ain’t that some shit, great, great-grandson
of a slave playing half-court with a great, great-grandson
of a Confederate soldier on a court named after a
General remembered for standing like a wall,
until he got shot, in a war they lost.

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Comments +

Comments7

  • dusk arising

    Such a very good point comes across in your post today..... things move on and times change. Many things which were illegal when I was a child are now quite acceptable and folks don't bat an eye.

    Sadly some refuse to forget the past and behaves as if they were living back then which creates a great deal of tension.

    I think you wrote a first class vehicle to get your important point across.

    • Jerry Reynolds

      Thanks, Dusk.
      Nature has her way with us whether we want it or not. Mother knows best.

    • Accidental Poet

      The world could learn a thing or two here. Awesome write Jerry. ; )

    • Neville


      ... if I said this was just great .. I would be seriously understating the impact this post had on me sir & the message it contains ... other than that .. I am of the opinion that between them DA & AP just about said it all ...

      • Jerry Reynolds

        Thanks, Neville.
        Much appreciated.

      • orchidee

        A fine write Jerry.

      • Doggerel Dave

        As above, really, Jerry. Congrats on a great moral tale. Just wish the move forward wasn't so patchy across the population...

        • Jerry Reynolds

          Thanks, Dave.
          I can see that for sure, but nature has as long as the sun lasts to get it right.

        • Goldfinch60

          This is a very important message to all, the past must be left there and we must all move on as one people in this world.

          Andy

          • Jerry Reynolds

            Thanks, Andy.
            The rhythm of time changes with each generation.

          • SureshG

            There’s a different kind of the burning of the books movement going on in America today, TODAY!!!!!
            Thanks for sharing

            • Jerry Reynolds

              Thanks, M.S.
              Actually, they are just being edited



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