Kelton School 1926 – 1996

The building in its sleep
passed away one quiet night,
didn’t leave behind one brick,
just packed its belongings.

No one knew it was leaving,
but like a partial skeleton, or
a so-long surprise, in its wake
was a field and two soccer goals.

I didn’t know it used to exist
until a week ago I got fresh air,
and having walked upon its grave
after moving here, I cannot

express the same sorrow for
the departed soul of a schoolhouse.
After all, it is only construction
material which men disassembled,

and not a thing that was ever alive
in my presence—yet here,
at the top of its former hill
is its tombstone.

***

Flatness During Recovery

The lunch bag slides down
beneath the textbooks
	and to eat, we have
	a flattened
peanut butter and jelly—
as if school wasn’t enough.

Grow into a giant and gaze,
nude with slack genitals,
	upon your city,
	flaccid, 
and lay down on the steeples,
gas stations, and little homes,
	fuel spilling,
	desiccating
the largest organ of the body,
which is now more flammable
	than ever
	before. 
A blue ignition of static sparks
skin, and flesh infects the town;
	just lie
	there.
Make white-hot pain worth it:
connect a line of colored tacks 
	with red yarn
	and brain cells
while melting, washing away
into manholes and storm drains.
	In grade school
	you had a green box
for pencils, a hidden collection
of pit-stop condoms, little pieces
	of paper
	with blue print
saved from the folds of cookies.
In hindsight, they told no futures.

Shrink down to normal size,
fluff the sandwich into shape,
	and with tongue,
	taste its patience,
that ornery sustenance retaining
all its flavors after the crushing,
        after all it has
        been through.
After all, it is only a sandwich
and you are not the only human.

***

Bryce Johle earned a BA from Kutztown University. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Parentheses Journal, Eunoia Review, October Hill Magazine, Maudlin House, and Pennsylvania Bard’s Western PA Poetry Review 2023, among others. He lives in Pittsburgh, PA with his wife and stepdaughter.