Cecilia Haywood
by Jesse Alexander
12/21/18
(for the little brown girl who sang “I’m selling lollipops” in kindergarten
and my Mother who kept my School Record scrapbook all these years)
you know
you became the stuff of dreams
4 decades
my Momma teased me ‘bout
you
(
“your first girlfriend!” she would laugh infectiously
her right dishwashed hand
covering her mouth
so she wouldn’t spit
sweet yellow Indian-head cornbread crumbs
all-over the white kitchen floor
)
you know
eye’ve imagined you
since P.S. 37 – Queens, NY kindergarten
(
into so many nows
like a faded black&white photograph
)
with your shinny brown girl-self (hands on narrow hips)
tribraided (eye believe) each terminated in tiny silver barrette
sportin a robin’s egg blue blouse
pleated navy-blue skirt
white frilled socks
& gleaming black patent maryjanes
you know
eye longed so long
to whisper in your ear:
(
behind the teacher’s back
)
“your chocolate music laughter
meant
nothin’
but the whole wide world
to me.”
© 2018 Jesse N. Alexander III
