One of my poems won the faculty division in the Malcolm X College Annual Poetry Contest for the second year in a row. Don’t get too excited; last year I was the only contestant. This year there were six other entries, so my photocopied certificate should say something more than “Participant.” Read it and weep, suckas!

I don’t have time to climb this tree
I’ve somewhere else I need to be
and what if I should fall?
I’m not a youngster after all
What if I were paralyzed
or a thorny branch poked out my eyes
or a neighbor lady walking by
saw me sitting way up high?
She’d have to pretend she didn’t know me
How embarrassing that would be
Maybe I’ll climb a little way
and save the rest for another day
Hey!
Now I remember what trees are for
so maybe I’ll climb a little more
From way up here I can see the rush
as people join the commuter crush
They hurry to work
but they’re longing to play
I think I’ll stay up here all day