The Jump-off Point: High School

Poem of the Day:
Jeffrey McDaniel's "Twentynothing"
alibi school

Excerpt from McDaniel's "Twentynothing"

Monday: scheduled root canal surgery with every dentist
in San Francisco, which isn't even my time zone.

Tuesday: mailed bomb threats to every Denny's
in America--switch to Dr. Pepper by sunset or else!

Wednesday: sat on my rooftop with a shotgun
and pulverized faxes zipping in from Europe.

Thursday: belched in the face of a smiling
toll booth lady for good luck.


And these are a compiling of the daily activities of McDaniel's speaker; he is a 'twentynothing' who spends his days doing, well, ridiculous things ("I begin each day with a little project").

Today at my sister's graduation her principal made an interesting point during his closing remarks. He declared high school graduation to be a sort of scale, a place to which many people look when tracking their success in life; "what have I accomplished since graduating from high school?" I think it was a very poignant observation.

I like to think that I spend my days doing more worthwhile things than McDaniel's 'twentynothing' but I also stress about being successful; if high school is the beginning of the race, am I ahead or behind?

Ah, who knows really. I'd like to say "who cares?" but I care a little, and also not all that much.


Sincerely,
A Poem A Day Audrey

P.S. I blame the fact that I have to wake up at 3:30 AM tomorrow morning for making this post a mediocre one. Yes, I have many excuses for poor writing. This is one of them.