Omar, Books and Me

By E. Ethelbert Miller

Folks call Omar a bookhead and me a bookend.

I don't read too much because I don't have time.

I don't even wear a watch to remind myself.

Why should I look at lines

on a page if they don't move

like the movies?

Omar reads so much about black history

and black heroes, I tell him he's gonna

be left behind living in a pyramid or something.

Omar says he looks Egyptian and maybe I should

look in the mirror and find myself too.

He laughs at me and takes a swing at my head.

You gonna be a bookend forever with folks

pushing you out the way like you at the end

of the shelf of life.

I listen to Omar and shake my head.

The end of the shelf of life sounds

like one of those soap shows Natalie watches.

She's always crying about some fool in love.

Omar says Natalie is my other bookend

and maybe that's why I'm afraid of books.

I laugh and tell him Natalie is his girlfriend.

You read your face Omar.

Boy, you should read your face.

I run down the street with my sneakers untied,

tripping over myself and being silly.

Omar runs after me shouting about how he plans

to bookmark my but.

You too slow and can't run I holler.

I'm running to the end of the world.

I turn the corner

as fast Omar

can turn a page.

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