When Boog Went Bust Poem by Gabhriel Londe

There was this kid
We called Boog
Who would spend hours
In his front yard
With a toy light saber,
Fighting invisible wars
And foes.

Other kids would privately
Tease him
From a few blocks away,
He knew how they mocked
And teased him from afar,
But he would just keep swinging
And slashing away.

I would sit on my porch
And watch him
Show off his warrior’s acrobatics,
Knowing he was doing it
Because he lacked quite a bit more
Than just a physical opponent.

But I didn’t judge him
Because of that,
I couldn’t.
Even at that age I knew
That you never know
What someone is really fighting.
Actually, I had thought he was
Kind of cool,
Fighting in spite of the others,
But then the day came that he invited
The kids from down the street
Into his yard
To challenge them to a duel
To restore his dignity.

After that,
I just felt bad for him.