Early Evening Visit

By Roxanne Cardona

1.

I admired his penmanship, the red snap

on tie. His shirt, the very white of it,

the beating heart of his elocution.

Joe folded creases of himself

into his seat, curled his "j" s like a nacre

shell, his sharp pencils poked holes into

lined paper. The broken light of him wrapped

into his Batman backpack. I gold starred all

his efforts in my second-grade classroom.

2.

All five feet nine of him stands above

my desk, in the end light of today. Ten years

between second grade and this moment.

His hair curls in wet rings. Joe’s eyes falling

heavy into their lids, the very glint of them,

unnatural as me in this empty school.

Held in the surprise of him.

He's helloing me. And, You look so good-ing me.

His steps neat and clean walk themselves out.

3.

The five o'clock air turns around my car,

its dark. Drive me home pretty teacher?

But it's not the ride he wants. And it's No,

no, no, as we slow dance around the car.  

A yank and a click get me in. Joe pulls,

pulls the passenger side door. I twist my key,

rip open the engine. He beats his fists, steeled,

sharp into the locked door. My wheels

race to put distance and time between us.

Roxanne Cardona was born in New York City, of Puerto Rican descent. She has had poems published in Animal: A Beast of a Literary Magazine and West View. She studied with Philip Schultz in his Master Class, Writers Studio, NYC for over ten years and currently, Jennifer Franklin, HVWC, NY. She has a BA and MS from Hunter College, MS from the College of New Rochelle. She was an elementary school teacher and principal in the South Bronx. Roxanne resides in Teaneck, NJ with her husband.