Old Man Walnut
nothing could be done,
we were pounding
the pavement
with our little white shoes,
the dirt billowing
the bullies were bullying,
the team captains captaining,
and Old Man Walnut
was safely nestled
in his shed
he lived in the woods,
they said,
somewhere just beyond
the reach of the eye,
that guy you pass on
the street but don't
notice until
he gets mythified
he's limping by
as you fill your cart
with groceries,
his one lazy eye
roving
his little flag is flying
as he whistles
slowly by
you'll never see him
coming
but he'll come
he'll come by
his face will have
the kind of features
you can't memorize
his fingers will
involve themselves
with hair you
can't describe
his feet will come
to rest just before
the fenceline
craning over
he'll announce something
skeezy and smooth-
sounding
you'll arc your head,
tipping one ear up
toward the sky
his offer will be
scintillating,
seducing your brain
like several small serpents
his hand will reach
through the holes in
the fence,
you won't know how,
you won't know why,
it's just the way
you've always visualized
his fumbling fingers,
snaking through,
encircling your wrist
like it's nothing,
pulling you through
and through like nothing
into nothing,
nowhere
he'll be there
on the other side, he'll be there
he'll be the one
you remember
but can't recognize
we were pounding
the pavement
with our little white shoes,
the dirt billowing
the bullies were bullying,
the team captains captaining,
and Old Man Walnut
was safely nestled
in his shed
he lived in the woods,
they said,
somewhere just beyond
the reach of the eye,
that guy you pass on
the street but don't
notice until
he gets mythified
he's limping by
as you fill your cart
with groceries,
his one lazy eye
roving
his little flag is flying
as he whistles
slowly by
you'll never see him
coming
but he'll come
he'll come by
his face will have
the kind of features
you can't memorize
his fingers will
involve themselves
with hair you
can't describe
his feet will come
to rest just before
the fenceline
craning over
he'll announce something
skeezy and smooth-
sounding
you'll arc your head,
tipping one ear up
toward the sky
his offer will be
scintillating,
seducing your brain
like several small serpents
his hand will reach
through the holes in
the fence,
you won't know how,
you won't know why,
it's just the way
you've always visualized
his fumbling fingers,
snaking through,
encircling your wrist
like it's nothing,
pulling you through
and through like nothing
into nothing,
nowhere
he'll be there
on the other side, he'll be there
he'll be the one
you remember
but can't recognize
4 Comments:
I'm glad to see Old Man Walnut back. I've missed the scary perv.
By Donna Sewell, at 9:15 AM
ah, now it lets me post-after i have already posted on your myspace page! Old Man Walnut is a cult classic. people love to hear of his baleful exploits!
-kyle
By kyle mcnease, at 6:59 PM
I love to speak your made-up words: skeezy, mythified... I want to know about the hair you can't describe that his fingers are involved with... are you implying pubic hair? Are his hands down his pants??? yuck.
I've been to this playground and I know the myth of Old Man Walnut that has passed through the kids at Westside. Those woods nearby are truly creepy, not to mention the fact that a man was murdered there a few years back.
By Sheri, at 2:24 PM
The myth of Old Man Walnut is great. You should read this story to students because it will scare the miss out of them. I think that you did a great job making me scary. I would not want to get near the fence.
By agaither, at 2:35 PM
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