Sammi
by Terry Koupe
illustration by Mark Reusch
“Welcome back, sports fans, to our last event scheduled today, the Giant Swan Dive. My colleague, Dandy Don Calhoun, has the street-level perspective.”
“Thanks, Al. The city of Chicago has done a splendid job resurfacing this street with a new type of asphalt that should enable the contestants to achieve a spectacular amount of bounce. The street is in front of the historic Philmont Hotel, which is a modest ten stories. This should be an advantage to the more athletic physiques…”
it’s so difficult to keep the candle lit on top of this building. the wind is whipping in all directions and i’m so cold i can barely keep the spoon steady. ok, ok, tie the arm off and stick the needle in and push the plunger and let the tourniquet go the sweat is in my eyes oh come on sweet feeling i’m needin’ you so bad…
“The burnin’ in my veins
is coursin’ to my brains
And I can’t remember when
I came from….
or where I’ve been…”
“Thanks, Don. With me now is the coach of the women’s team, Mikhail Stratov. Mikhail, how would you characterize this year’s team?”
“Well, Al, we are younger and tougher this year as compared to last year. We lost many of our veterans to drug rehab programs at the end of last season, but the recruiting year was excellent. Our overall ages are lower, making for a more youthful team, and a leaner appearance.”
wouldn’t it be nice to fly like the birds in the sky? to live in the heavens, leaping and soaring like the dust, just flapping about the planet to see the world? ahh, the warmth of the sun is returning to my bones i think i’m better now. i can’t remember if i’ve been old or if i’m young. if momma is on a drinking spell she tells me i’m the oldest living abortion and laughs (and coughs), but after the check comes in we have food and we’re like a family… ‘cept poppa is long gone i can’t really remember him all her men want to do is touch me but i’ll be big one day and i’ll get them, i’ll get them all. i’ll get a big gun and blow their brains out, every one of them i’ll show them, i will.
“Asphalt in my eyesight,
Asphalt in my tea
Asphalt is my jungle,
Asphalt will enliven me.”
“This year we’ll be utilizing new technology with a laser measuring device capable of accurate readings to the one thousandths of an inch. Our first jumper is nearing her mark. Sammi is twelve years old and has a police record dating back five years. She is the oldest of five children, and her hobbies include music and vandalism.”
they’re coming to get me i didn’t do nuthin’ I DIDN’T DO NUTHIN’! but my shouting only seems to direct them to me. i gotta find a place to hide. why did i come up here? there’s no place to run. maybe there isn’t a place to run, shoulda bought that piece. i can’t seem to find a place to hide up here, but on the next roof there is. but i can’t jump over there, it’s at least… no i can’t make it. if i tell them that i’ll jump maybe they’ll go away. but they keep coming for me GET BACK I’LL DO IT! sometimes they make sense NO! i can’t let them get me they talk like it’ll be all right momma will beat me if i get busted. the birds make it look so easy, to just take flight and soar to the next roof and i could get away…
(And the Sony be KICKIN’!)
“Cry for the mommas,
Cry for the poppas,
Cry for the babies that aren’t set free…
But remember
To cry for me,
I CRY FOR ME!”
i could make a running leap and just flap a little bit and then glide over there and they couldn’t get me. the birds make it look so easy… i gotta get out of this somehow… on the count of three away i go… ONE… TWO… THREE! JUMP! look i’m flying! it really works! i’ll get away now, they won’t get me, i can soar to the sun if i want and life is truly grand now that i’ve found a way out of here the wind in my hair i’m FREE of everybody and they’re just watching me they don’t know that i’ve gotten away from them they can’t get me now. the people on the ground are just staring at me, they don’t know that i’m leaving this place behind and i’m just going to go away from here to a place where momma and her boyfriends can’t hurt me anymore.
“Oh, and it is a beautiful dive. Arms outstretched, legs together, very stylish. She’s nearing the ground now, picking up speed. OHH, WHAT A BOUNCE, at least two feet in height. Dan, the rest of the team will really have to step it up to top that!
“The judges are putting up their marks now: 9.1, 8.7, 9.2, 9.2, 9.0, a 9.6 from the San Francisco judge, and a 8.4 from the notoriously tough South Bronx judge. Those marks will be tough to beat!”
“Al?”
“Yes Don.”
“Al, Olympic officials are telling us that the personal stereo worn by the jumper is still functioning. I’ m going to try to get a microphone down there to listen to what the contestant was listening to when she jumped. Al, can you hear that?”
“Don, we are getting something. I think I can get this on the air…”
“Tick Tock, Tick Tock
Time is passing,
Youth are passing…
Away.
