expecting radical

      expecting radical

the last day of school
soon the first day of summer
and she showed up like that
stringy hair blonde
strings for clothes
with rubber boots to wade in
practical at the last moment
for hours old pedicure
no that happened later
we put the boat out anyway
old rowboat
first time out of winter
i
said she looked like a whore
she said i was a fussy prude
how rude
we rowed for just a while
the river laughed at both of us
and joked us into rest
where when he caught us incomplete of caution
tossed us in the water.
junes early water
cold and fresh, down and lusty  from
the mountain
so strong we were
we were able to flip and get back in the belly.
later sink our toes in muddy earth
put the boat away and made some brownies.
mostly we were what each needed
one knew how to not skip class
the other taught the best way to get a tire changed
was to wear very short shorts
i
thought they were too short
very very short
she had no response
just "so"

end of summer found us
neither very big
quite able just the two of us
to again carry the boat down to the water
asphalt and weight made the river very kind
down hill was the easy part
leaving was the hardest

it happened just that way
like watching the seasons change
only i guess i thought maybe summer could last
forever
it did'nt
she left without a plan
or the money for a phone call
or my number
that's when i un-named her or re-named her
at the very best i called her she
she has her own way of doing things
shit

green eyes and stringy hair
i have cussed  and cussed and cussed
only because cursing provokes too much thought
i went down to the water
in september
when i could cuss no longer
i thought maybe i could pray
blonde laughing boats stringy hair little clothes
and wading boots you whore
how different it is
when you see radical
and know what to expect
and then that best friend shows up
Radical
is what they call her
hair still purposed blonde stringy but cut short
beautiful in rubber boots
stringing sparse fabric  around her
we smoke together in the boat
before we go in for winter
rest now
spring is coming
radical is expecting