Bellman’s Pick
Casey Hill

We should go bowling sometime
when it’s nice outside
and everyone’s happy
feeling the grass
sway like an April kite
in the wind between their toes.
I love how they love springtime
and only springtime days
when the sun shines down on them
alone to keep them company.
Let’s go bowling.
I want to watch you pick
shoes that best match your shirt
even though they don’t fit
as well as when you rise
an inch to your toes
and chin your way
into the L of my neck
and whisper something new
that no one else can hear
since they don’t care for bowling
on sunny spring afternoons.
I want to watch you roll
three gutter-balls in a row
then twirl on your toes
and spin your skirt
like children laughing
on a merry-go-round
too afraid to let go,
and watch you say it’s not fair
how the floor slants to the right
when it’s your turn to go
so I can say you’re right.
I’ll say it’s time to go
so you can wrap yourself
around my arm
and skip without skipping
on linoleum diamonds
that show us to the moon
light sliding through the doors,
lingering with your eyes
on a bouncy-ball machine,
hoping for pink.

“I am currently a senior English major as well as a wide receiver on the football team at Wake Forest University where I have witnessed my love for poetry increase tremendously over the past four years. I grew up in Memphis, TN, which is home to Elvis, soul music, and the best BBQ in the world.” E-mail: hilltc5[at]wfu.edu