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Graffiti
by Kristina WoodhillSo there was Banksy,
A real life Spider Man,
Climbing down that city wall
He had just repurposed,
Wry light mingling
On unscrupulously hung
Dark social thoughts
Or a laugh at absurdities,
His face plastered wallward;
I pried like a carpenter
To peel him back,
Reveal the vandal
Who keeps making us face
Our brick mirrors;
Some days
I just don't want to know myself, Banksy,
You know what I mean?
You're smart enough
To never get caught,
Tsk, tsking at me
At nine years old
There in the schoolyard
Fingering the odd piece of chalk
A younger Banksy had tossed unseen
By that wall;
I'd like to say I wrote my first poem
All in that brief elementary school recess
Or drew an early, childish
Kilroy was here tribute;
Frankly, I don't remember;
A so-called friend,
Martha, turned me in,
I got to walk the school's
Blushing-scarlet hall of shame;
Martha, finding my weak side,
Shoved her knife home on other occasions,
And I began
The long,
Necessary
Climb,
Hand hold
By soul slap
By hand hold,
Out of innocence
01/10/2015 Author's Note: Edit. I'm not advocating writing on walls here - just a random memory that popped up.
Posted on 01/10/2015
Copyright © 2025 Kristina Woodhill
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by George Hoerner on 01/12/15 at 02:42 PM I recall those early days and when the teacher asked if any cheated on the test. I raised my hand! |
| Posted by Ken Harnisch on 01/12/15 at 09:55 PM My son was once admonished harshly for using chalk on a schoolyard wall to write a truly non-obscene message. While we were there a stiff hard rain blew by and erased the offending message from the wall, whereupon I quipped, "God does work in mysterious ways, doesn't He?" The admonisher was not amused. But I like this poem as a real sharp coming of age vignette, Kristina! |
| Posted by Chris Sorrenti on 01/13/15 at 10:48 PM Although I did some misbehavin' in my youthful days, proud to say grafitti wasn't one of them. Fascinating story telling, Kristina. As for Martha, as the saying goes, "Revenge is a dish best served cold." :) |
| Posted by Philip F De Pinto on 01/15/15 at 02:35 PM so many great lines in here, Kristina. ex: Martha finding my weak side shoved her knife home on other occasions, I love particularly. the poem has great style going for it and the path that it trods is quite unbeaten. |
| Posted by Quentin S Clingerman on 01/16/15 at 07:06 PM Most interesting. We all have memories of doing something at school for which we got caught. Yes, all part of growing up. |
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