Septembers

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once a year
I would imagine the
first day of school

I never imagined the teachers
or the classes I would inevitably fail
I would imagine her

she was from out of town
smart but so shy
that she had no friends

she was always cute but not
beautiful
not so beautiful that she was out of place

some years she would see my Star Wars
or Jaws shirt and
she would open her jacket
and show me that she was wearing the same one

other years she would trip and
I would help her up
she would touch my hand and fall for me

once I spotted her out of the window of
class
struggling with too many books
I left class and we ditched school
to go to the pier and look at sand sharks

I would wait for her for a few weeks
but, of course
she didn't come

next year

next year, I thought

she would come

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