It all started when a new teacher held up
this picture and asked, “What's going on here?”
Everybody said how pretty the yellow house
was, the pink blossoms, the blue sky.
I said, “It's creepy. The sidewalk leads
right to the cellar.” The teacher beamed
and the McKenzie brothers made fists.
I ran for the library faster than usual.
I asked Miss Wilson for more by the same guy.
She could only find one—Stag at Sharkey's.
I looked at that painting every day. I looked
at every inch. I looked until I was at ringside,
until I was the fighter in the modest black
trunks.
When Bobby McKenzie finally caught me
and bloodied my nose, I put my head against
his and hit him with my right and to my surprise
he winced and went down.
“Stag at Sharkey's,” I bellowed. He looked
at me like I was crazy, scrambled to his feet,
and ran.