Grownups have recess Time
set aside to be to play To sweat victory To double dog dare
each other in our outside voices
Grownups get scratched up skinned knees
and grass in our hair
I stink of recess after loving you
I can wash up scrub down Recess
gets under my nails in my kneepits behind my ears
It would make my mother furious
Loving you is basketball in bed
thrump thrump thrump thrump
thrump thrump
driving down the court then Release
a three-point shot I savor the silent
hanging gasp in sky before the Tremble
of rubber cutting net
Loving you is declaring my real name
to the neighborhood
You and I share the same rootword as God
Love love love love You’re it
Chase tackle tickle me
wrestle Mercy jump
rope me I triple dog dare the whistle
the UPS man
Girl Scouts with their cookies and
Jehovah’s witnesses
to stop us mid-swing You push me so high
I open my mouth wide and lick the sky
Loving you
is jumping from the top bars
The flying moment
I savor before landing
hard Laughing in the dirt
Tasting you tasting earth
tasting my sky kiss
my recess
This slam poem is dedicated to Theresa Davis, a world class slam poet who likes love poems and a teacher and mother who likes recess. Good luck to the Decatur Java Monkey Slam Team this year!
