2016Bluestone

It was the first time I’d had my breath knocked out, that I could remember.

They sent me home which I didn’t mind a bit. The next day, John was gone. I tried to tell them the table had been my fault. His mom came to talk to the teacher, but she wouldn’t budge. From then on, I traced my letters alone.

CL Bledsoe is the author of a dozen books, most recently the poetry collection Riceland and the novel Man of Clay. He lives in northern Virginia with his daughter.

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