Times with Tim
By Michael DeCamp
“Do you need a ride home?”
My friend, Tim said
As he rolled slowly past me in his car
I was walking home from school
“Yeah,” I replied
“That’d be great!”
Then, I saw the gleam
The start of laughter in the bright
of his eyes
“Piss in your shoes,” he said
“Then you can float all the way there!”
Laughter
Hysterical laughter
All at my expense
I could hear him as he drove away
Leaving me in the street
*
He's my friend
From childhood
I’ve known him my whole life
*
“Help me with my work”
He said another day
“Then we can go have fun”
“Okay,” I replied
“Sounds like a plan”
“You do this,” he said “And I’ll do
that”
Cleaning horse stalls
I started my task, he started his
Then, laughter again as an engine
revved
My back was turned, his foot slipped
I noticed and dove from his path
The tractor hit the stall as I
crawled from the barn
“Don’t tell or I’ll get fired”
I limped for weeks so he’d get paid
*
He's my friend
From childhood
I’ve known him my whole life
*
Baseball and football in his
grandparents’ field
Army and tag in their yard
Wiffleball in mine
Down the alley to Cantrell’s for pop
Hanging out on the porch
Tromping in the woods behind his
house
It was so much fun
Then, “Piss in your shoes and float
home”
Dodging a tractor and crawling for my
life
I miss those times with Tim
Long time, no see
I hope you’re doing all right.
*
Despite it all, he is my friend
From childhood
I’ve known him my whole life
