Burping loudly like a train
The boy saw his reflection upside down in the puddle
On a Friday
It was probably January or maybe even raining
Certainly though this was an unexpected halcyon event

For sometimes, being a precocious young man
He would sit for hours, watching the leaves blow by
On shimmering afternoons in silence
But today was too blitzed to even start.

No austere is too nice of a term, today was shit
And more importantly, as the rivulets collected
into this low hulking ground mass
that served as a disfigurement clause
He thought "I am finally a man"

Not scared of life
Not as scared of death,
And (to the reflection) certainly not scared of you anymore.
I found the answer in the hidden places that few see
But many call home. And when I finally came up for air, I breathed.
Finally as a new person, despite this wretched weekend.

(c) 2008 Joe Asbridge