Tears dripping on yellowed
tiles between

red lockers every
December, one arm

 

Of each Valenti twin
draped over my

sullen, sweaty shoulders
with a no,

 

No, you won’t get cut.
Not this time. They can’t

do that
to you again, right?

 

Cool girls
dribbled           layupped         free

throw-ed.

 

            Tall      with     big       hands

thigh muscles burg-

            eoning through            aber-

 

Crombie          sweat               pants

            as they             strode,             lengthily,

to the               courts.

 

            I tried              to show           the teacher      slash

coach               I could             dribble             but

            too often          I’d look up       halfway down              the

 

Court                           catch                            sight of
a real                           player

 

slow                 my                   pace                 to                     see

            if                      they                 saw                  me                   too.

 

Lose     the

                        ball.