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The following can also be found in the book Chicago Stories 1998. Click here to learn more, and to download a free electronic copy.

I.
The squeak of
sudden rubber stoppage
on the floor
of a 1981
hardwood
high school
gymnasium
and the way
the squeak
echoed across
the cavern
and bounced
off the far wall
and floated back
to my ears
a moment later
made me
feel like
a jock

II.
They always said
'No black soles
on the gym floor'
and it always confused me
'cause who has shoes
with black soles?

III.
My mom said
she'd pay as much as
a pair of Hush Puppies would cost
and if I wanted different shoes than that
I'd have to make up the difference
on my own

so I did

Copyright 1998, Jason Pettus. All rights reserved. This was published under a Creative Commons license; click here for details. Contact: ilikejason [at] gmail [dot] com.