Words by: Sam White
Art by: Jordyn Matusewicz

“Tell me” She says

“What were you like

At school?”

Pressed down memories ooze 

Out like the juice

Of rotten fruit.

Locker room boys with more hair than me;

Discovering the internet on the family PC;

That 

First

Love

Who spooked my heart,

And how I responded like a skunk.

To them, I apologise for my cruelty.

Should I tell her about 

How I ate lunch in the toilet, in spite of my friends;

Or of crying about popular kids

Leaving me on read?

No, who cares about the popular kids,

Let’s show her 

The bottom of my Instagram!

The fedora phase;

Deep fried photos of the 2016 Australian Open;

Three videos of my feet walking. (I was trying out being artsy)

Let’s tell her of

That first girlfriend

Who showed me I had no bloody clue what love was, 

Breaking me 

To prove the point.

I tell her I still haven’t caught my Dad, 

That he’s still that little bit taller and it’s been driving me 

Insane since 16.

I tell her this behind a red face

And feverish eyes.

She looks back with a glint.

The weirdest part about childhood is that 

Everyone lives it.

She, a foolish little girl

Looks at me, 

A foolish little boy

And smiles.

“Thank you,” she says

As we switch places,

Now it’s her turn to talk.