The Last Time You Got into a Fight

There’s only been

one fight.

It didn’t go well.

 

Happened

in fourth grade,

during social studies.

 

Some kid named Travis

put his fingernail

in your hair.

 

You kicked

his desk.

He didn’t like that.

 

Told you to meet him

after school

on the playground.

 

You’d been taking

tae kwon do lessons,

so he was in for a beatdown.

 

When you arrived,

he wasn’t there, so you

practiced:

 

side punch,

knife hand block,

roundhouse kick.

 

But when he showed up

you were a little exhausted

from all the freakin’ practice,

 

so as he rushed you,

instead of readying

for the easy takedown,

 

you called

TIME OUT,

and turned around

 

for a breather

when he jumped you

from behind,

 

and you never

went back

to tae kwon do.