On the Third Step

The stair where I sit

On the Third Step


It’s green and warm
The bars are brown
I like it here
Where I just sit down

I watch through gaps
On the third stair up
Ever so quietly
So I don’t disrupt

I see many things
That no one else sees
I crouch down
And hold on to my knees

I sit on my step
When it gets dark
And stare out the window
At the park

There I see kids
My age, talking
It’s silent so
I can hear what they’re saying

They talk about sex
And sports and shoes
I can’t join in
Cuz I’m a ‘recluse’

I want to have friends
I want to go to school
But I cannot leave
That’s Frank’s rule

‘They’ll make fun of you
You’re different see.’
Is what my dad, Frank
Says to me

I listen…
I do not speak
I cannot stand
My legs are weak

I just sit on my step
With my knees curled up
And watch my world
From the third step up