He Just Had To Go And Dare Me
I would do anything,
anything, when I was six.
All he had to say was,
"I double-dog dare you.
You’re chicken if you don’t."
I must have pulled down fifteen
red wasp nests with my bare hands;
became convinced I was truly
invincible wasp master…until,
I got stung.
Mama whipped him for causing it,
and me for being stupid enough,
and me for kicking my brother
square in the balls.
Shirley Alexander
© 2006
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