POEM: My Name Is Jimmy

My Name Is Jimmy

I sweep the floor at the arena.
During the summer I chase
foul balls at the softball games.
You might think that's not much

but it is. Once they let me hold up
the flag during the national anthem.
Sometimes I watch the cheerleaders.
Once my brother showed me a picture

of a woman without any clothes on.
I wanted to reach out and touch her hair.
I am short and slow. They told me so.
Mostly i just sweep the floor.

I do it well. I walk straight lines.
My Dad picks me up after the games.
He drops me off. Then he picks me up.
When I get home I watch the television.

I watch sports & listen for the scores.
Sometimes they show tapes of the games.
Once you could see me in the background.
I was sweeping the floor at the arena.

I sleep in my sweats and I dream.
I dream of other arenas. I dream
of large crowds. I dream of me
sitting with them drinking cokes

and laughing. Then there's a timeout
in my dream and I get called to the floor
to sweep. I do it well. The people clap
in my dream. They like straight lines.

(from the chapbook ROCKING GENTLY OUT OF SYNC, 1995; also published in Heartlands Today)