It hit me at that very moment
crumbling herb at some party
in my t-shirt and blue jeans
that maybe my Spanish teacher
was correct.
True I was not hanging out
at the local Dairy Queen
and P & S,
but I wasn’t that far removed
from that reality.
High School graduation was already
2 years ago.
What was I doing?
I took a look around the room.
Everyone holding a drink
was either going or transferring
to a big university.
I didn’t even have a plan.
Working as a parking attendant
at the race track wasn’t sustainable.
What turned out as a minor curiosity
became an escape.
That night was the first inkling
that my emptiness
was something I could no
longer afford to ignore.
~Bob E. Freeman
Nuclear Polio Vaccination 