Squaretable Seminars

8th

We were taking a test,
something stupid like math
or German maybe,
and the teacher walks out.
I’m concentrating pretty hard
but Joe reaches in his pocket,
pulls out this rubber ball
and starts bouncing it.
It’s quiet but it annoys me,
and then one bounce
sends it flying over the half-wall
into the principal’s office.
Everybody looks up then
and Joe zips on over to the window,
opens it and jumps out.
Well of course the principal
rounds the corner
and wants to know
whose rubber ball this is,
but nobody says anything.
And here comes Joe
in from the hallway,
says he was in the bathroom.
Brilliant.


2 ½, 40

I headed out on the river
with Hannah in tow
on the ice fishing shack.
Nancy had her bundled up
in scarves and sweaters
and snow pants.
We hiked out around
the bend over there
and I drilled a couple holes.
I gave her the scoop
to keep the ice out
and we talked.
Ten hours later
we went back home.
She’d just been potty trained.
and was embarrassed
that she’d had to pee her pants
because it was too cold.
Even Nancy couldn’t
settle her down.
She’s only two.
It was good to spend
some time together
before we can’t.


2008

Sue saw a spirit
in the pew next to us.
He had brown hair
and a blue checkered shirt.
After Mass Mom showed
her an Easter picture
when we were babies.
The same man stands,
arm around our mom.
We talk about this
on the porch steps
of the Legion Hall.
The kick to an x-ray
bounces down from
the boys at karate practice.
Sue pokes her head up
the staircase ready
to say something smart.
She stops mid-step
and hurries back over.
There are people
dressed up for dancing
in that stairwell
who know they’re dead.


5¢

There used to be a school
here in Harpers, you know;
that’s what the gym’s from.
There were two stores,
and the river business
and, well, there was more.
Oh, this town
was just a hoppin’.
Every Saturday night
there'd be a dance
up in the Legion;
‘course that’s where we
store the old drums now
for Memorial Day.
Hell yes, this place
was something, I tell you.
We’d get all done up
and go out together.
Now anybody ever does
is meet up for coffee,
but I s’pose that’s
all we can do now
that we’re old
and not too pretty, hey?


© Hannah Walleser