Sara E. Holbrook - More Than Friends: Poems from Him and Her

More Than Friends

WordSong An Imprint of Boyds Mills Press, Inc. 815 Church Street, Honesdale, Pennsylvania 18431 wordsongpoetry.com Printed in China Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Holbrook, Sara. More than friends : poems from him and her / Sara Holbrook and Allan Wolf. 1st ed. p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-59078-587-4 (alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-62979-182-1 (ebook) 1. Interpersonal relations in adolescenceJuvenile poetry. 2. Young adult poetry, American. I.

Wolf, Allan. II. Title. PS3558.O347745M67 2008 811.54dc22 2007050282 First edition Designed by Tim Gillner The text of this book is set in Sabon. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 The two sexes mutually corruptand improve each other. Mary Wollstonecraft ContentsMore Than Friends What Do You Do
When She Looks at You? Become unglued and crimson-hued? Turn away, afraid to stare? Bury your face in your biology book? Or return the look? What do you do when she looks at you? Shout her name from atop your chair? Flare your nostrils? Pose and flex? Bellow like a buffalo bull in love? Yodel like a loin-cloth-clad Tarzan? Or take her hand? What do you do when she looks at you? A hundred things I could have done. A hundred words lay on my tongue.

A hundred pickup lines marched by I just said, Hi. Free verse with refrainWhat Do You Do
When He Looks at You? For sure, if he is looking heres the rule: Stand tall, inhale and tummy-hold, then try to sneak a peek but still maintain your cool. Be subtle, private, ask your friends to spy. Adjust your belt, fluff hair, and moisten teeth, then stall, turn back, search purse, and check your phone. Dont panic or betray your knees are weak. Dont mope or look pathetic when alone.

Dont burp or scratch your nose or pick or pull. Dont be a tramp, but you should show some skin. Dont wolf down food, pretend that you are full. And look so intrested, just not in him. These rules are set in concrete. Dont ask why.

You have to follow them, OR just say, Hi. SonnetShe Says All Boys Are Thoughtless Jerks She says all boys are thoughtless jerks (except, of course, for me). She says Im not like all the other guys. All boys are fraught with flaws and quirks (except, of course, for me). Because Im not like all the other guys. And yet she keeps on dating jerks and then complains to me.

She turns on gushing waterworks and says, How can it be that every boys a thoughtless jerk? (except, of course, for me). She says Im not like all the other guys. Each time she says Im special (not like all the other guys), Im growing more invisible before her very eyes. And next time, when she finds me gone, shell say, Im not surprised and tell her friends I turned out just like all the other guys. Free verse with refrainHer Boys are thoughtless jerks. Show-offs, player wannabees.

Its all about them. Teasing means that they like you? Fact: Boys only want one thing. TankaHe Says All Girls Are BubbleheadsHim Girls are bubbleheads. Skirts. Hair. Lips. Mystery. Giggle. Gossip. Cry. Cry.

Travel in packs. Straight-A smart. Watch guys play. And never fart. Tanka Those other girls arent me. Im not your property.

I dont like second place. I wont pretend Im dumb, and dont presume Im thinking bride and groom or that Im so consumed by love, a mere reflection of you. I am not above the rest, but if you pass the test you might sample the best right here. Youll never have to fear that I will drop a tear on you. Like Id give one boo-hoo to manipulate. True, I can without lifting a hand washrag-twist out a man, but I would never bat an eye to cover up a lie (blink, blink) or drive you to the brink.

Oh, I confess, I think youre fine (I checked you from behind). If youll respect my mind, youll see Im not like them. Im me. Luc bat Veggie Panini Is the Answer to Everything I dont know what makes two people just friends on Thursday and more than friends on Friday. But today was Friday. The one-hundredth look was different from the first ninety-nine.

Todays Hi was different from every Hi that came before. I swear I wasnt smitten, but then the lunch bell rang. And there you are: sitting at our usual lunchroom table (has she always sat like that?) and we look at each other (has she always looked like that?) and we say Hi (has she always talked like that?) eating what looks like (has she always chewed like that?) just a sandwich but what you inform me is actually a veggie panini. Free verse A veggie what? I ask and smile as wide as a door on well-oiled hinges. And you smile back the same and answer, Paah-NEE-nee. Paah-NEE-nee.

A veggie panini. In English class I even look it up. Paah-NEE-nee. Paah-NEE-nee. A veggie panini. I whisper it into the electric air and picture your lips, your smile, your look, your lunch, your hair.

I mutter it all the way home: Veggie panini. Veggie panini. I hug my mom (first time in like a year). And how was your day? my mother asks. Veggie paah-NEE-nee is my answer. Hes Not a Fake Hes not a fake, all flirty. Hes Not a Fake Hes not a fake, all flirty.

Told no jokes down and dirty, just watchful. No roller-coaster rides, no fireworks, no fast breaks, or clean jerks, just watchful. Silently steady, narrow-eyed, ready. Not just in a word, he was in a state he was watchful. Free verseShoppingHer Destination: Mall. Wandering is half the fun.

Does this lipstick match? Look and dream, you never know. Would he love me in these jeans? Him Guys dont go shopping. Pants, shirts, shoes, socks, boxers, belts: they all just appear. Eggs, bread, milk, ice creamappear. Its magic. HairHim Short is less trouble.