for Lawrence King, 1992-2007

Teens bully deans, bash

desks like Queens christen ships,

graduation gowns break out

in a gospel song, to heal neglected

punched lips; boys grow hair to the waist,

chide geeks and greeks like Hector before

his last battle, or counselors’ legal pads

wearing pink jeans at football tryouts;

girls render teachers incompetent,

sieving tomatoes through a chinois,

like cafeteria trays grind

glass to eat as dessert, after a calling

of names. The moon gets larger every year,

like astronauts taking sabbaticals

to pass out bread in Guatemalan missions,

or go back to writing letters to inmates

that say: “I’ve been baptized

with blood from Laramie,”

but it’s too late.

 

—————-

About The Author:

 

Sergio Ortiz grew up in Chicago, studied English literature at Inter-American University in San German, Puerto Rico, and philosophy at World University.  He was an ESL teacher most of his life but also worked with the elderly blind population as a Daily Living Skills Instructor for the El Paso Lighthouse for the Blind, and the Texas Lions Camp.  He studied culinary art at The Restaurant School in Philadelphia and became a chef.  

His work has been published in Origami Condom, Poets Ink Review, POUI The Cave, Flutter, Silenced Press, Cause & Effect, The Cherry Blossom Review, Kritya, Ink Sweat & Tears, Ascent Aspirations, Cause & Effect,  and The Battered Suitcase.