Barbara

by Joseph Hargraves

"I was a week from graduating High School
and walked into this big bathroom at
the end of the Hall where it was real quiet and
right after me comes these 2 guys and
one asks 'Are you George?' yeah I say
'Why'd you call Barbara last night, punk?'
I didn't, I said and he sucker punches me
in the face then his friend
throws a coat over my head they
start beating the living piss out of me and
next thing I know I'm on the concrete
with this mother in the air
ready to land on my head with his feet
then there's blood shooting out my nose
and it hurts so bad I think a vein's popped in my head
and somehow I get superhuman strength and
throw the big collard-green-eating fucker
out the window he landed on an awning
and bounced onto the cement I
had 56 stitches in my head he broke a few bones
the school sent us to different hospitals
him to Einstein me to Mercy
to protect us from each other
that was 9 or 10 years ago
and last week I run into that motherfucker he
smiles shakes my hand and asks
if I've seen Barbara lately
I said no and only after he walked away
did I realize she was a lousy fuck
and I should've killed them both 10 years ago."