Crazy Bunch Barbecue at Jefferson Park



CRAZY BUNCH BARBEQUE AT JEFFERESON PARK

by Willie Perdomo

This is definitely for

the brothers who ain’t here

who woulda said

I had to write a poem

about this get together

like a list of names on a

memorial that celebrated

our own Old-Timer’s Day

For those of us

who age in hood years

where one night can equal

the rest of your life and

surviving the trade-off was

worth writing on the wall

and telling the world

that we were here

forever

The barbecue started with a

snap session

Jerry had the best snap of the day

when he said that my family

was so poor and the fellas said

how poor and he said so poor that

on Thanksgiving they had to buy

turkey-flavored Now & Laters

The Laughter needed no help when

we exposed the stretch marks of

our growing pains

Phil had barbecue on the grill

He slapped my hand when I tried to

brush extra sauce on a chicken leg

Yo, go find something to do

write a poem

write something

do something

I got this

I’m the chef

you the poet

talk about how you glad to be here

look at that little boy on the baseball diamond

look at him run circles around second base

today is his birthday

write about how the wind is

trying to take his red balloon

It use to take a few shots of

something strong before we

could cry and say I love you

we have always known how

to curse and bless the dead

now we let the silence say it

and like the little boy’s sneakers

disappearing in a cloud of dirt

we walk home in the sun

grown up and full

This is definitely for

the brothers who ain’t here

who woulda said

I had to write a poem

about this get together

like a list of names on a

memorial that celebrated

our own Old-Timer’s Day

For those of us

who age in hood years

where one night can equal

the rest of your life and

surviving the trade-off was

worth writing on the wall

and telling the world

that we were here

forever

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