In my youth I knew I was different
maybe even special
but a genius?
as a neighborhood brunette in high school once remarked
sitting down beside her to get better acquainted
I thought was a bit of a stretch

Little did we both know what lay ahead

As a child
in every coloring book
there was at least one page of connect the dots

Even at that early age
I was somewhat a rebel
a scoundrel you might say
with a ballpoint pen

For after a while
I got tired of just going from 1 to 2 to 3…
and out of curiosity
I thought I’d try something different
like running the ink from 1 to 3 to 8 then 12
before back to 2 and 5
like a spider spinning a web on LSD

A well placed mess you might say
yes little did I know what lay ahead

In the years that followed
I would learn how to make and connect my own dots
with words and images
combined meanings
whether out in the open
or camouflaged

A neighborhood blonde in high school
helped teach me that trick
for she liked to play head games
fishing for answers by asking indirect questions
I quickly caught on
connecting the dots
purposely fed her the wrong or too much information

She came to hate me
or maybe always had
as I did her
though I really don’t hate anyone
I just play bigger head games
when they play them with me

Little did we both know what lay ahead

And looking back now
figure what was the harm?
both paying the price of lost friendship
yet in the process
become proficient in the art
of connecting the dots

© 2016
Revised © 2018

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09/13/2016

Posted on 09/14/2016
Copyright © 2024 Chris Sorrenti