Above the World – The Sky So High

2
“Up Above The Sky So High…”

One morning on my way to school
I grabbed a bottle of  orange pills from
our window ledge – the one facing
Seneca Street- where
Mother would watch me when I left
to fetch something from the
big market.

I took her pills from the ledge, stuffed
the bottle into the pocket of my freshly starched
pink, flowered dress.

Now, Mother’s pills were mine – I would live
forever;  hiding behind Grandmother’s bushes, near

red beans growing on green vines, beans I would

use to make mud pies.   I removed the top.

All those orange pills stared at me, as
if they had eyes – eyes like those who

lived in our neighborhood.

I took one – chewed it – started to
walk; first past Charlies Grocery – he

wasn’t in his rocker chewing on a cigar –

I walked down Avenue A toward my
school – noticed one of Mother’s friends

beating a rug against the railing of her porch.

She never looked my way, so I
took another orange pill from a tiny bottle,

and chewed it, as if it were a baby aspirin, glanced

back toward the porch, waved to Mother’s
friend, while I sneaked the bottle back into

my pocket.

 I thought, I must have taken enough to live –

Twinkle – Twinkle little star…”
Humming the same song while leaning

my head against the push out window
of our Studebaker.

How I wonder what you are?”

I began to draw stick figures on the window
of our car – I can still remember pushing those
push out windows, closing them, drawing,
I did this over and over – rubbing the window

clean it – breathing onto glass, rubbing it,
breathing, rubbing, breathing,
drawing, erasing,
drawing, erasing –
exhaling, breathing, drawing,
and erasing it –

Up above the world so high….”

I believe it was my first time to fly.

2 Comments
  1. Avatar of Andrew J. Sacks
    Andrew J. Sacks says

    Thank you for your usual fine work, Nancy.

  2. Avatar of Nancy Duci Denofio
    Nancy Duci Denofio says

    Andrew, I am pleased you enjoyed this, sorry it took me so long to respond. Sincerely, Nancy

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