Jump Rope By Jasen Sousa
Jump Rope
While
the teacher stepped out of the room, a lesson
was being taught that would bring a young girl to her doom.
Students began touching her in the darkest places,
mean faces filled a swirling room.
They tore her shirt and stockings, threw her clothes on the floor
until she was wearing nothing more than sneakers with untied laces.
Their flailing arms prodded,
her knees stuck together as she crunched down
to cover up all she was revealing.
A few girls half-heartily tried to help her,
most laughed and snickered
as the classroom lights flickered.
Cell phones
caught the scene on tape,
footage boys
would go home to and masturbate.
Held by her hair,
sitting in the teacher’s chair,
feet walking on air.
Nails scraping the board,
in a position where she could not be heard by the Lord.
Fingers addicted
to her shape,
no where to escape,
wasn’t ready to give
what they decided to take.
The moment ended,
five boys were apprehended.
Diminished her worth
while leaving memories
which could not be murdered
once they gave birth.
Full of blame,
full of shame,
boys who erased the pureness of her name.
Later that night,
leaning against her bedroom window
listening to the soothing sound of rain.
Watching a leaf
slowly fall,
knowing she could never go back to school
and walk down those halls.
Couldn’t live with the guilt,
the only way to sleep peacefully
was to tuck herself under the earth’s quilt.
Hands underneath her skin
forever feeling her from within.
Tickling her throat with twine, underneath the moon’s shine,
the only way to remove the scene from her mind.
Tied one end of a jump rope
around a pipe on her ceiling,
left a note
trying to
explain
what she was
feeling.
She then
wrapped
the other
end of the
jump rope
around her
throat.
Taken From
Selected Poems of Jasen Sousa
17-24
©
Comprised of works from:
Life, Weather (First Collection of Poems Written At Age 17) (Not In College)
A Thought and A Tear for Every Day of The Year: A Poetic Diary (Written Between ages 18-19) (Stint at Suffolk University)
Close Your Eyes and Dream With Me (Written During Early Twenties) (Bay State College)
Almost Forever (Written During Early Twenties) (Bay State College)
A Mosaic of My Mind (Written at Age 24) (Beginning Emerson College)
While
the teacher stepped out of the room, a lesson
was being taught that would bring a young girl to her doom.
Students began touching her in the darkest places,
mean faces filled a swirling room.
They tore her shirt and stockings, threw her clothes on the floor
until she was wearing nothing more than sneakers with untied laces.
Their flailing arms prodded,
her knees stuck together as she crunched down
to cover up all she was revealing.
A few girls half-heartily tried to help her,
most laughed and snickered
as the classroom lights flickered.
Cell phones
caught the scene on tape,
footage boys
would go home to and masturbate.
Held by her hair,
sitting in the teacher’s chair,
feet walking on air.
Nails scraping the board,
in a position where she could not be heard by the Lord.
Fingers addicted
to her shape,
no where to escape,
wasn’t ready to give
what they decided to take.
The moment ended,
five boys were apprehended.
Diminished her worth
while leaving memories
which could not be murdered
once they gave birth.
Full of blame,
full of shame,
boys who erased the pureness of her name.
Later that night,
leaning against her bedroom window
listening to the soothing sound of rain.
Watching a leaf
slowly fall,
knowing she could never go back to school
and walk down those halls.
Couldn’t live with the guilt,
the only way to sleep peacefully
was to tuck herself under the earth’s quilt.
Hands underneath her skin
forever feeling her from within.
Tickling her throat with twine, underneath the moon’s shine,
the only way to remove the scene from her mind.
Tied one end of a jump rope
around a pipe on her ceiling,
left a note
trying to
explain
what she was
feeling.
She then
wrapped
the other
end of the
jump rope
around her
throat.
Taken From
Selected Poems of Jasen Sousa
17-24
©
Comprised of works from:
Life, Weather (First Collection of Poems Written At Age 17) (Not In College)
A Thought and A Tear for Every Day of The Year: A Poetic Diary (Written Between ages 18-19) (Stint at Suffolk University)
Close Your Eyes and Dream With Me (Written During Early Twenties) (Bay State College)
Almost Forever (Written During Early Twenties) (Bay State College)
A Mosaic of My Mind (Written at Age 24) (Beginning Emerson College)