Kerri Shying R - # 179 - Mandaang Guwu ( thank you for the lack of electric childhood)

Mandaang Guwu

(thank you) for the lack of electric childhood

I’m not afraid of one thing I remember 

 playing marbles

don’t let that Steely in    he’ll

smash up all the glassies

into shards    that kid

he’s crazy   I know his sister

she said he kicks

cats    don’t let that Steely in

I see my brothers   tongues out

the family bag of marbles  fighting for the

Tom  the  one huge one   we

girls wanted cat’s eyes comets aggies     stole

them  held them to the light rotating them

like fan blades    get off they’d say

girls play lassoes 

long  strings

 of white knicker elastic stretched on thin brown

legs   I got out once we reached the hollow

 of the knee back    never made the thigh

high  jump no   that was primary school

 all the higher-ups   all the

hem-lines   that all came 

 later.