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two fifth grade girls of color
color
color
color
one light skin one dark skin
scar under her right eye
pocketbook slung over her shoulder
were on assignment to take me to the lunch lady
to get me my ticket for lunch
on the way
a freckled speckled red headed hairded bearded balding
pale math teacher spying ahead of himself way down the hall in kakhis
spots me and my escorts and asks one of them
star under her right eye
"What's seven times seven?"
she turns to her friend and laughs
looks like she's 'gonna guess laughs again
fakes almost guessing
so he repeats himself
this time in a snappy sappy Sinatra-like song
"What, my dear, is seven times seven?
one times one is...two times two is...
three times three is...What is seven times seven?"
her eyes roll backward
only the white is available
pupils hide from the teacher
as her friend runs laughing maniacally down the hall
and we pass into the office
where she stalls us with smiles and giggles
as she braces herself against the last swivels
of Mr. Arithmetic's swinging door
and now he waits for her to perform
to turn the trick
she laughs his face begins to change shape
the pressure builds
she laughs sweat forms on his forebrow she laughs
the pressure builds
his shirt buttons begin to stretch until suddenly
his chest burst open
fountains of numbers spurting through his sweater vest
6x6 3x3 4x4
like blood mathematical figures upward falling into the air
piling onto one another as they land at Mr. Arithmetic's feet
the young lady leans into the rising time tables searching for an answer
first she finds a seven another an equal sign and then an
X
sifting through the numbered rubble she thinks she sees the factor
she clutches it close and whispers forty nine?
it's silent except the rustling of numbers still settling at her feet
as she repeats herself
forty nine?
teacher nods yes!
forty nine! forty nine! she sings it like salvation
not just the solution to the problem
forty nine makes her able to be again
ends the great white marching band in her head
the exploits in her head forty nine! forty nine!
it's on the back of a milk carton
it's a Michael Jordan logo
forty nine! forty nine! westward expansion manifest destiny
forty nine! it's a Madonna at The Garden show
it's Jerry Lewis last telethon
a Boomer Esaison cystic fibrosis campaign
Venus beats Serena Serena beats Venus
it's the best score 49 will ever be
forty nine! forty nine! everyone's dancing
and celebrating
it's time to eat to the cafeteria
forty nine! forty nine!
suddenly "eight times eight"
what?
teacher steps in front of her "eight times eight"
she scowls
can't I revel my success with lunch and recess?
"eight times eight times eight times eight"
her eyes full and wet fall into the equations at her feet
it is quiet again
but for the buzzing of the main office secretaries background gossip
as slowly she pulls from her purse her hand in the shape of a pistol
she points her finger index at the teacher and pokes him under the armpit
balances him there for a moment before she spins him
in a whirlwind of plaid and courdoroy
and dumps him into the corner intoxicated
he smiles
now she turns the barrel on herself and she smiles
laughing imaginary bullets down her throat and into her belly
this is eight times eight
seven times seven
six times six
five times five
four times four
three times three
two times two
one times one
"What is seven times seven?"
