I loved to make them
Laugh
This older man
John
And a lady whose name I
Don't remember
From the moment I stepped
Into the big green bus that
Parked once a week
In the lot near
Our house
And squeezed my gangly
Teen-aged frame
Down the narrow aisle
Wisecracking
Pulling a joke book from the
Slanted shelf
And laughing for hours at the
Stupid
Inane
They knew where my young
Literary interests idled
And often brought new volumes
Hand-picked
I almost hated it when
Others
Came aboard and
Stole their attention
But I would help
Since I knew topics and titles
Sometimes better than
They
And after this many years
I'm sure
They're both gone
They've gathered the
Keys
As I've slid my stack from the
Narrow desk
Their faces
Voices
Laughter
I can never return
