A Box Of Chocolate

III (Tag)

This explanation goes for the next two poems. They were a class assignment (from the same teacher as chapter I) The assignment was for us to write a poem in either haiku (5, 7, 5) or tanka (5, 7, 5, 7, 7) stanzas. I wrote the following poem first and then Celestial Battle afterword in an attempt to counterbalance whatever comment she might have about Tag. Although she ended up not caring. Lucky for me, she wasn't a teacher who jumped to conclusions and would just let me write.

Little Story:

        that same teacher took a lot of my work (this included) and put it into my school's literary magazine, The Magnet. Each year they have a publication party to honor all of writers and artists who had their work published and the staff that helped make it all happen. At the party (held in one of our auditoriums), my teacher told me that either I was to read my work, or she would. But that no matter what I chose, one of my pieces would be read. I chose this one.

        After thanking my teacher for not carting me off to one of the school's counselors for writing this poem, I began to read.. When I had finished, a man, who I later found out was a police officer said, quite unquietly "I didn't like that one." Thanks dude. You couldn't go on about it later that evening? Or after I had gotten off stage?

October 9, 2012

  Tag

Blade comes in close, then

Pulls back. Teasing. Moving slow

Her sole goal: is

Escape. But she can't shake the

Pedant in her. So she waits...

She fights, and he laughs

To himself knowing she knows

That she can't get out.

He tied her loosely. Taunting.

And that was his first mistake.

She'd long since gone still.

As his footsteps fade, she pressed

Shaking palms to her

Face. Her bonds aren't tight. His

Conceit, the second mistake.

She pulls her hands free,

Next she unties her ankles.

Tape tears from her mouth.

Triumphant, she clears a dry

Throat. That was her first mistake.

He leaves feeling light,

Whistling in delight. This one

        Is going nowhere.

Leaving her alone. His third Mistake.

Three strikes your out, right?

She stretches cramped limbs.

"Aaah," she breathes. Silently, she

Leaves. Glaring at the

Lush carpet, she leaves the door

Open. Her second mistake.

She runs through the house,

Looking for an out. Stumbling

Buys her precious time.

Reaching the door, she fumbles

With the lock. She's free! At last.

She looks over her

Shoulder. Her third and final

Mistake. But she does

Not yet know this. She takes a

Breath of the fresh air. She's thrilled.

She walks slowly from

The house. Her legs are not yet

Strong enough to run.

"Catch me if you can," she breathes.

That was how it all began.

As he approaches,

The wind brings him her words. As

He searches for her.

Brushing at the flakes. He sees

Her familiar form, hunched.

He runs after her.

"Freeze!" he yells, tagging her. She

Does, against her will.

He grabs her arms, pulling out

His blade. He has won this game.

"Tag, your it!" They point

At two passersby who soon

Part ways. She's now dead.

And he will kill more until

The impulse hits couple two.