abeyance
Monroe
Monroe Newberryâs life turned on a pivot
the first day of class his fifth grade year
when he met Mr. Byron Edgers
the first male elementary school teacher
in the history of our town
who in order to get to know his class
began the day calling roll backwards
to let them know his class was going to be different
which resulted in him calling Troy Newberry before Monroe
asked him all the appropriate questions
then Monroe next and said
Are yall you and Troy twin brothers then?
Monroe said No
which was about the length of most sentences he spoke
Troy heâs almost two years oldern Monroe is, said Butch Bowen
I asked Monroe, not you said Mr. Byron Edgers
let him speak for hisself
how come youâre in the same fifth grade class?
Monroe didnât say anything
looked across the room at Troy
who was busy staring out the window
I asked you a question Monroe Newberry
now you have to answer it said Mr. Byron Edgers
Monroe only scrunched his shoulders
Monroe Newberry I axed you a question
he said turning red in the face
Because I failt fifth grade said Troy Newberry
I have to do it over again
which would have been fine except
the whole fifth grade class excepting Monroe
laughed
Thatâs all right hollered Troy
least Iâm not a dummy and Iâve got a manâs name Troy
not some movie star womernâs name Monroe
Shut up Troy said Monroe
Oh tell everbody how Mama
wanted you to be her purdy little girl
grow up to be all beautiful in the picture shows
had the name Marilyn Monroe Newberry picked out for you
how sheâd say Youâre my purdy little boy
purdy enough to be my purdy girl Marilyn Monroe
Shut up Troy said Monroe
How she brought you a yellar dress
for your third birthday put it on you
Monroe Newberry jumped up
ran over and pulled his brother Troy out of his chair
on the floor his arms swinging like a tilterwhirl
screaming Shut up Shut up
before Mr. Byron Edgers could pull him away
Troy had a bloody nose and a piece of his ear bitten off
then at recess hit him on the side of the head
with Janette Huttoâs roller skate
they had to take him to the school Nurse
Mr. Byron Edgers transferred Monroe Newberry
To Gordon Hamiltonâs wife
Mrs. Johnnie Hamiltonâs fifth grade section
for the good of the school
Principal Ellis Mills called the daddy
DâWayne Newberry in to settle it down
Mrs. Newberry already gone
some said dead some said
living with kin in Arkansas some
said in an insane asylum
he said he didnât know what to do
with them boys they was always
at one another one way or the othern
this was the first time he known
Monroe to get the best of old Troy
for the next two years
no one heard a sound from Monroe Newberryâs lips
his teachers said he was tongue tied
school Nurse said he was born defected
Principal Mills who was a church Deacon said
It might be the Lordâs touch
students and friends knew Monroe was in there
he just wasnât riding the escalator
until the day in seventh grade
when he discovered Hooter Haginâs genuine birth defect
said out loud Jesust Hooter
you only got one tiddy
and the little Dutch boy named Jan
took his finger out of the dike
language began to trickle syllables then words first
few sentences longer than three words
then five
bursts of sudden shyness and reversion
disorientation and confusion
slowly he rejoined us
word by word by sentence by month by day
and then the Saturday
Troy Newberry and his chosen friends and disciples
captured Monroe in his bedroom
told him they were going to find out
if Marilyn Monroe Newberry had a pecker or not
and then maybe cut it off
to see if heâd holler about that at least
screams so loud calls went to the station
and the fire alarm sounded
Deputy Sheriff Junior Shepherd from one side of town
Sheriff Red Floyd from the other
raced the fire truck to the Newberry residence
found four
Monroe
Monroe Newberryâs life turned on a pivot
the first day of class his fifth grade year
when he met Mr. Byron Edgers
the first male elementary school teacher
in the history of our town
who in order to get to know his class
began the day calling roll backwards
to let them know his class was going to be different
which resulted in him calling Troy Newberry before Monroe
asked him all the appropriate questions
then Monroe next and said
Are yall you and Troy twin brothers then?
Monroe said No
which was about the length of most sentences he spoke
Troy heâs almost two years oldern Monroe is, said Butch Bowen
I asked Monroe, not you said Mr. Byron Edgers
let him speak for hisself
how come youâre in the same fifth grade class?
Monroe didnât say anything
looked across the room at Troy
who was busy staring out the window
I asked you a question Monroe Newberry
now you have to answer it said Mr. Byron Edgers
Monroe only scrunched his shoulders
Monroe Newberry I axed you a question
he said turning red in the face
Because I failt fifth grade said Troy Newberry
I have to do it over again
which would have been fine except
the whole fifth grade class excepting Monroe
laughed
Thatâs all right hollered Troy
least Iâm not a dummy and Iâve got a manâs name Troy
not some movie star womernâs name Monroe
Shut up Troy said Monroe
Oh tell everbody how Mama
wanted you to be her purdy little girl
grow up to be all beautiful in the picture shows
had the name Marilyn Monroe Newberry picked out for you
how sheâd say Youâre my purdy little boy
purdy enough to be my purdy girl Marilyn Monroe
Shut up Troy said Monroe
How she brought you a yellar dress
for your third birthday put it on you
Monroe Newberry jumped up
ran over and pulled his brother Troy out of his chair
on the floor his arms swinging like a tilterwhirl
screaming Shut up Shut up
before Mr. Byron Edgers could pull him away
Troy had a bloody nose and a piece of his ear bitten off
then at recess hit him on the side of the head
with Janette Huttoâs roller skate
they had to take him to the school Nurse
Mr. Byron Edgers transferred Monroe Newberry
To Gordon Hamiltonâs wife
Mrs. Johnnie Hamiltonâs fifth grade section
for the good of the school
Principal Ellis Mills called the daddy
DâWayne Newberry in to settle it down
Mrs. Newberry already gone
some said dead some said
living with kin in Arkansas some
said in an insane asylum
he said he didnât know what to do
with them boys they was always
at one another one way or the othern
this was the first time he known
Monroe to get the best of old Troy
for the next two years
no one heard a sound from Monroe Newberryâs lips
his teachers said he was tongue tied
school Nurse said he was born defected
Principal Mills who was a church Deacon said
It might be the Lordâs touch
students and friends knew Monroe was in there
he just wasnât riding the escalator
until the day in seventh grade
when he discovered Hooter Haginâs genuine birth defect
said out loud Jesust Hooter
you only got one tiddy
and the little Dutch boy named Jan
took his finger out of the dike
language began to trickle syllables then words first
few sentences longer than three words
then five
bursts of sudden shyness and reversion
disorientation and confusion
slowly he rejoined us
word by word by sentence by month by day
and then the Saturday
Troy Newberry and his chosen friends and disciples
captured Monroe in his bedroom
told him they were going to find out
if Marilyn Monroe Newberry had a pecker or not
and then maybe cut it off
to see if heâd holler about that at least
screams so loud calls went to the station
and the fire alarm sounded
Deputy Sheriff Junior Shepherd from one side of town
Sheriff Red Floyd from the other
raced the fire truck to the Newberry residence
found four
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