Poem Collection - MythOfHappiness - 3. Locker Note 2

I spent forever

Trying to figure out how to respond

To your note

How do you even begin

with something like that?

I guess my best bet

Will be to simply copy you

You know what they say

“Good artists copy, great artist steal”

And I wouldn’t call myself a great artist

I’ve never written a poem

Or even contemplated doing so

But you made it really easy

To mimic your style

How do you think I did?

So onto more pressing matters

You like me.

“Alot”

Or so you said

And you were totally honest, so I’m going to be too

I think you’re swell

(Yes, I did just say swell)

Quite pleasant to be around

An all around all right guy

For sure one of my top three seat neighbours

I like you well enough

Considering our...

Limited interaction

But I don’t think I like you

In quite the same way you like me

I don’t have any wish to smell your hair

For one

Which is not to say that makes you weird

It’s just, I’d rather smell Jenny K’s hair instead

If you know what I mean

I’m sorry,

Really I am

You seem really sweet

If I were gay...

But I’m not

Which is not to say I have a problem with it

Because I don’t

My brother is gay

And my grandpa has lived

With another man since ‘83

I’ve actually never told anyone either of those things

And I’m sure you can understand why

Considering you (an actual gay person)

Would rather slip a note in my locker

Than talk to me face to face

It’s still not quite ok here

In high school

In Oklahoma of all places

Not the greatest circumstances

For sure

But if you ever need someone to talk too

A friend who,

To a certain extent,

Knows what you’re going through

And can maybe help

I’m here